Black Boy
by mimi 007
Summary: Sequel to three-shot Black Bird. Black Dranzer has begun acting up again, as its powers grows even bigger. Being the only one who can touch it, Kai gets a lot of responsibilities on the bitbeast, while everyone seems afraid how he will react to the power.
1. The voices

I just can't help it, can I? I promised myself not to start a new story, but Black Bird was so good for my mind that I am sending the first chapter of the sequel now -.-' Maybe it is because I only need a break from Bound to Change after having written on it for so long, but I still should try and continue it. I am at one of the most important point in the story, and I am still not even writing it!

Anyway, this is the story of Black Dranzer after the three-shot Black Bird, and though it has humor-traits, it is just as serious as the rest of my stories. But this one if not from its own POV. Once again, I will warn you that I consider Black Dranzer genderless. And that I will probably first send next chapter when I am done with Creation of Gods and Innocent Killers. But I promise you, the other chapters won't be this long!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with beyblades. But I do have some OCs, and the plot is my own.

Warnings: Probably little cursing, but if I know my stories right, it will be heartbreaking, and it will contain deaths.

* * *

The voices

* * *

_And I lied there, burning with him, and though the flames did not harm me, I knew I burned with him. My insides burned, my soul, my mind. I burned, and when we both stopped burning, the only thing left was my body._

* * *

A beautiful day. BBA and beyblading were on the rise again after BEGA, and the sun was shining this special day. The two of them were sweating, but only because they had only just stopped their fighting. Their blades were lying beside them, one blue and red, one silver. And the wind caressed them as it swiped across the grass in the park, making the green- and red-leaved trees whisper to them. Never before had they been able to have this kind of relationship. So peaceful and quiet. Though they had just fought with their blades, they were still friends. Still close friends.

Crimson eyes watching the face of his strongest opponent and rival. And one of his closest friends. It looked like nothing had ever disturbed the peace in that face, as if Tyson never had been forced to face Brooklyn in a world that was cracking from the inside out. He seemed like nothing but a child, even though he was a teenager now. Despite his many titles as the world champion, and his cheeky cockiness and too big ego, he had kept his innocence from the first time Kai had seen him. On the other hand, Kai had changed a lot. Thinking back, he remembered so many things he could regret that he needed his toes to count them all. And he had a hard time recognizing the boy he had been.

It was a little over three years ago. He still had many traits from that time. He still lacked social skills. He still was distrustful towards people he did not know. He had just proved from the BEGA-incident that he still had a tendency to betray his friends. And he still had the greatest and evilest pleasure he had felt in his pocket, every once in a while trying to control and elude him.

But he had improved. He had a big group of friends... Or at least people he knew and somehow respected. He did not shove a stranger away the moment they met, but waited till he had evaluated the person. He had become more kind, if he should say it himself. And with help from the team he had finally accepted, his stone heart had softened up, and he had come close to saying yes whenever Tyson, Max, Rei, Hillary or Kenny offered him to be a part of their games, asked if he wanted to watch a movie with them or tried to drag him into play-fights.

Yes, this was a beautiful day of a beautiful year, in the era of his life where he had become a human. A beautiful day the biggest temptation of his life made sure to ruin. He had closed his eyes again, and was about to fall asleep with the whispering trees and singing birds as his lullaby and a straw in his mouth that he had bitten tasteless. He had been at his most vulnerable for a second, his eyes shutting peacefully, and it was then he felt something. It was a feeling he recognized, from a being he had been used to ignore. And suddenly, he felt pain from where the pocket of his baggy pants touched his skin.

He sat up straight and suddenly, the look on his face as if he had just woken from a nightmare. He stood up straight and took the hand in to his pocket, feeling the beyblade down there. It was not the red phoenix that he loved, but a different being. A different being with so similar genes. He scooped Dranzer up from the grass and turned.

Tyson opened his eyes, having been disturbed in his sleep by the sounds and sudden movements from his friend and teammate. He watched the retreating back thoughtfully. It was not a new or surprising sight, that Kai left without a word. No, definitely not. For that reason, the world champion did not pick up the odd behavior from the other one as he asked the normal, but always unanswered question: "Are you going already?"

As expected, Kai did not turn or even act like he had heard the question. He just spat out the straw he had held in his mouth and moved down to the gravel path in the park. It was so beautiful. A beautiful park with a beautiful lake with clear, blue water and green reeds and ducks, and beautiful trees, which whispered to him whenever the wind blew past them and the birds sitting on the branches. A beautiful sun bathing it all in light. But the feeling of the beauty around him did not seem to be secured. Not for him, at least.

* * *

The world champion beyblader had come home a little while after his friend had left. He had liked the peace and quiet, and he had like the grass around him and the blue sky above, but it was worth less when Kai was not there. It happened so often that they were to find in the park, more or less sleeping. It was a bond Tyson had managed to form with Kai, a special thing those two had together alone. The good thing about it was that they did not have to speak with each other. Too much conversation and Kai would either lose patience or interest in being with him.

Now, Tyson was ready to care for his other friends. To be honest, he was not sure if he, Max, Rei and Kai still were a team, but they were still friends. And at his home, he was sure to find at least Max of the mentioned friends. And then there was also Kenny, and Daichi lived in the house. Hillary was he not as sure of, whether she would be there or not, but she might be.

What he found was that not only Kenny, Daichi and Max were there, but also Hillary, Rei and Hiro. They sat around Kenny, and the smallest boy was tapping away on his computer. Something had caught the attention of them all, but Tyson did not notice the difference in the computer they sat by. For that reason, he was startled to hear a forgotten voice throw him a sarcastic remark when he did nothing to tell them hello but just sat down in front of them. "Oh, so _that_ is how I am welcomed by an old friend."

The midnight-haired teen nearly fell off his chair at the sound of the robotic, female voice. It had been months since he had heard that sound last time, and he rushed around to look at the computer's shining screen. "Be nice to him, Dizzy," Kenny said, pausing his button-pushing. "He did not expect to see you again. It is not his fault. Besides, you should just be happy that I insisted for my parents to fix you at the store instead of doing the cheaper and get a new computer."

"Tch. It is your fault that I ended up like a burning piece of metal." Kenny's face reddened, and Tyson's curiosity flared up immediately at the not so odd sight. What had the chief done to his beloved computer? It seemed to be the truth that it was his fault, but he normally was so cautious with his machinery. And the world champion had never gotten to ask him what the hell it was that had happened with the computer with the bitbeast.

So now seemed a good time to ask. Even if the sarcastic bitbeast was in a bad mood, Tyson knew himself well enough to know that he would forget to ask when Dizzy became happy again. "So, what did you do to her, if it was your fault?" he asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible while sounding the words. The Chief seemed to be trying to shrink away, his face glowing brightly as he tried to hide behind the laptop's screen.

"Well..." he began, stuttering slightly. "P-please do not tell K-Kai anything... But I... k-kind of... tried to hack into the Balkov Abbey's old computer-system... J-just t-to see some of the files. B-but the system was still in function, so my computer got trashed about half-way through it, when t-the defenses reacted..." He seemed so uneasy about the situation. He was probably still the one of them who feared Kai the most, and that could have something to do with his experiences with him when the teen had been the leader of his old gang. That had been a very unpleasant meeting that had shaken the Chief.

"And what gave you the motivation to begin and search in the past, if I may ask?" Hiro said, looking at the screen on the laptop. The younger boy was working on something, and it looked to be big. Whatever it was, it could end up being interesting. "And what are you doing now?" The continuance made Kenny's face redden again the places where you could see his skin for glasses and hair.

"It was just... A little before the last world championship, I heard the Blitzkrieg-boys were probably coming back to play... And I remembered how they had been. Cruel and hard... I did not know if they were still like that, though now we know they have improved, even if just a little. But I got interested in knowing more about them." He paused a moment, his fingers stopping as something on the screen began loading. "I am trying to see how much I copied before the laptop crashed. I am trying to find the backup file of the computer from seconds before it crashed."

Once again, it was interesting, and the watchers and listeners automatically closed in on the screen. "I know none of you probably care, but I am getting claustrophobic," Dizzy complained, before she continued with some more interesting news. "I still have the files somewhere. Give me half a minute of no touching my buttons, and I will show it to you. I will even take the time to translate everything from Russian. And move three feet away." The last comment was said in an icy voice, so all, even Kenny, listened to her.

It did take about half a minute for her, and suddenly, a lot of folders from the Balkov Abbey with hundreds of files each. The folder ending in the front had the title 'Bitbeast', and there were new folders with names of different bitbeast on them. "I saved more than I remembered," Kenny mused and moved in front of the computer again, looking at the folder with the bitbeasts. "I think the documents are set after strength, but you should think Wolborg and Seaborg would be beside Wyborg and Falborg at the top..."

"It is all the bitbeasts Boris created," Dizzy announced her unknowing human friends. "Wolborg is a little over two thousand years, while Seaborg is the oldest spirit left. The names in this folder, I do not know most of, so it obviously is the human-made bitbeasts." This was news for the humans, and they seemed shocked. And finally, Tyson voiced the question that echoed in all of their minds, him being the first on to recover.

"You can create a bitbeast?"

"Yes," was the simple answer from the bitbeast in the laptop. "Without knowing how, I know that they captured or bought wild or tamed animals and used some kind of machine to rip their... the best way of explaining it must be souls, out of the still living body." Their stare got even worse, and the woman would have blushed if she had not been in a computer. "Well, that is how Seaborg explained it to me. They rip out the part of gaia there is in humans animals, the pure essence of the creature with memories, personality and feelings, and gives them bitbeast-like qualities through some machine. I believe it can happen to humans, too."

The last statement made them all shudder. Unwillingly, they tried to imagine the feeling of getting their souls, what it was she called it, ripped out of their bodies. The only thing they could conclude was that it was not a pleasant feeling, and they definitely did not want to experience it. And none of them seemed to find their tongues until the Chief could no longer take it. "Do you mind if we, ehm, take a look at Falborg's files, if no-one mind it."

Falborg was set as the first bitbeast, and Kenny's eyes flickered to Rei. The neko-jin blader had had bad experiences with that particular bitbeast, which meant he was the one who got the honor to decide if they looked at this one of the bitbeasts. The golden eyes closed as the Chinese blader nodded, and Kenny clicked the folder. Pictures were the first things they saw of it, and opening them, the first was one of a white falcon with dark spots fighting the hands of a human. But its wings were trapped by the human hands, and neither its beak nor yellow claws were able to scratch the one that imprisoned it.

"What kind of bird is that?" Hillary asked, staring at the, pure white and the brown dots. Pitch black eyes seemed insane and angry, and the blue-white beak was opened as it cried with fury. "In any other situation... it would be... beautiful." The others could do nothing but agree. There was something about the bird, something that was worthy of the Majestics. It looked like a bird of royalty, its body long and slender.

On the next picture, the same bird was held in front of a tank of glass. It was wearing a falcon hood, but despite the nature of the bird, it was still fighting even without being able to see its enemies. Their wings were widened, spread out to show how mighty it was. They were about to take it inside the machine.

"It seems Falborg was a Gyrfalcon alive. It is the biggest falcon on this planet, living in the arctic areas," Dizzy said after having searched on the internet for a short while.

In the next picture, the white bird was in the glass-container, the hood off its head. Its head was tilted backwards, and it floated in green liquid with wires and tubes attached to it. The spots on its feathered coat were whitening, and that difference in colors from life to death counted for its legs. The pitch black eyes were only slightly opened, their color having turned gray. There was no sign of life on the body. It was only that. A body. The majestic bird that had fought it captors so harshly was no longer inside that. The dead eyes were a proof of that.

The watchers already knew that they had sucked the soul out of the poor thing. "How cruel," Rei could not help but whisper. "It is good that place is no longer in function."

The next picture was of a boy with long, brown hair, and in his hand was Falborg's blade. It was weird, to see the blade in another person's hand than Bryan's, but this boy with long, brown hair seemed to own it. And his brown eyes glistened with happiness. Next picture, the bitbeast came out of a spinning blade, and now that they had seen its other form, they could see many of the features from the living falcon. But there was a weird thing about the battle. Instead of letting its winds attack the opponent's blade, the bitbeast had turned on his carrier and was tearing him to threads.

"But... It is a bitbeast. Should a bitbeast not be loyal to its owner?" Daichi asked, looking at the blood being spilled from Falborg's winds. The picture was not the normal situation of a bitbeast and its owner.

The next picture, another stranger seemed to have gotten the beyblade. He was blond, and he, too, had long hair. His blue eyes were shining as he held the beyblade high over his head, and on his face, a proud smile was had spread. But once again, it did not last. The next picture was a battle-scene, too, and once again, the bitbeast was out of its blade. And it was diving straight towards its carrier, as if there was no other opponent than him.

"That is true..." Hiro mumbled as he looked at the terrified look on the face of the blond boy. "But you all saw how hard it fought the humans while alive. I have studied spirits for a long time, and I can only guess that it carried this anger over to its new form. So it would not listen to any human, and attacked any who tried to command it."

With shivers rolling down their spines from imaging their own bitbeasts turning on them, they clicked on to the next picture. Bryan. He was younger than the other two who had held the blade in his hand. While the brunette seemed to have been about the twelve years and the blond about fifteen, the lavender-haired boy seemed to be only eight-nine years old. And unlike the two other carriers, he did not smile or seem happy that he had received the bitbeast.

The next picture showed his first battle with it. The bitbeast was diving towards the enemy blade, while the nine year old Bryan stood with his arms crossed, no emotions crossing his face. Next picture. It seemed to be a year before they got to know the brutal blader, and at first, he was the only thing they noticed, since he filled out most of the picture. But in the background, they could see something that made the blood in their veins turn to ice in their veins.

The memory of Rei's battle told them what had happened to the boy standing across of the lavender-haired blader. And even if they did not know the person who was so unlucky to have been the sadistic blader's opponent, it hurt. He was soaked with blood from head to foot and kneeling, exhausted and... dying. Blood was everywhere, on the wall behind the body, on the floor, in the beystadium, hell; it had even flied about ten feet and hit Bryan in the face. The cuts the wind had made were obviously deep, and they were now seeing a picture of Bryan at his worst.

There was no doubt in their minds that this boy had died, and the smile on Bryan's face told that he loved the sight of the blood and pain. This boy had died, and he had done so after long suffering.

"I suddenly feel very lucky," Rei whispered, as he nearly felt every cut and every bruise from that battle all over again. "Can you... move on now? Please?" His voice was weak, shaking as he was more concentrated on Bryan's face than the cruel blader's deeds. That cold face. Showing so much pleasure in this scene of malice and pain and suffering. Such a demonic smile, that he had faced himself all those years ago, where he had been hurt so badly he had feared for his own and his bitbeast's life.

"There are no more pictures," Kenny said, but pressed the X to close the picture before the sight of the blood gave him nausea. "There is a document, too," he mumbled and opened it. From there, he began reading:

"Bitbeast: Falborg (troublesome).

Number: 21.

Animal: Falcon.

Element: Wind.

Carriers: Has had three, killed the first two, B-K-004.

Mentality: Unstable, hating, destructive, possessive, trust B-K-004.

Kills: 1 with carrier I-G-227, 1 with carrier G-V-154, 125 (explored) with carrier B-K-004.

Ranked in power: 1st of created bitbeasts, 3rd of all our bitbeasts, surpassed by Black Dranzer, Seaborg, 3 – 2 – 2 in tournaments.

Plans: Carrier and bitbeast stand in front of invasion. An example has to be found. Shall bring fear in to the enemies."

There stood nothing more. Kenny was quite sure if he found out what the number system meant and where it was, he could find out secret information about the bitbeast, but there was nothing more here. The only information they really had gotten from the document was terrifying, but nearly something they had figured out. B-K-004, who they easily could figure out to be Bryan, and Falborg had been supposed to use Rei as an example, and they had killed together many times.

"Wyborg?" Kenny asked, thinking that it could not get far worse than this. The others agreed, and new pictures were found. A snake being held by the neck, and snake being put in to the tank. A snake without its soul. And it seemed Wyborg was a far more peaceful than the falcon, for he had accepted Ian as his first carrier, and there were no more pictures of the two than when they got together from when the bitbeast had been made. And the document read:

_Bitbeast: Wyborg._

_Number: 113_

_Animal: Snake._

_Element: Earth._

_Carrier: Papov._

_Mentality: Natural lust to kill, infected the carrier._

_Kills: 48 +_

_Ranked in power: 2nd of created bitbeast, surpassed by Falborg (troublesome), 6th of all our bitbeast, surpassed by Black Dranzer, Seaborg, Falborg, Dranzer, Wolborg, 2 – 3 – 3 in tournaments._

_Plans: Supporter of Wolborg, part of division 1._

Once again, nothing special. It caused more questions and did not really give any answers. Unsatisfied, they all closed that folder, and Hiro was just about to say that it was things they should not find out about when he saw the names in the folder that had hidden itself behind the one with bitbeasts. It was named 'Students', and the first name was Tala Valkov, then Spencer Petrov, then Bryan Kuznetsov, and finally Ian Papov. And more interesting than the rest, the fifth name... Was Kai Hiwatari.

Kenny stared at it for a while, just needing to press the button to open the folder to reveal the past of his friend. One little push. And yet... "We just take them as they stand in the folder, right?" the Chief said, opening Tala's folder instead of the one of his friend's. Once again, there were pictures, but also by just seeing the smaller images of the unopened pictures, they could see it was not pretty. And yet, Kenny could not stop himself from opening the first picture, showing the redhead as a child. Probably about six years old, the boy did not smile as he stood in front of Boris. Already then, they could see the frown they always had seen him with.

Pictures of him beyblading, pictures of him striping off his shirt, pictures of a guard whipping him, pictures of him standing beside the blond giant. The pictures were nearly the same, and only his age changed. They even found that they got used to watch him get punished. Pictures of him with a gun, picture of him holding Wolborg with the smallest smile on his face. More punishment, more guns, more beyblading... Until they reached a picture where he had the gun pointed towards a kid a little younger than his own twelve years.

Kenny closed it when he realized what it was. May be the first time the redhead shot another person, and still, the innocent computer-nerd would not let himself realize what he had just seen. "Ehm... the documents," he mumbled, looking for something he could block the last image out with. He opened it and saw that it was set up much like the bitbeasts' documents had been, and once again, he read out loud:

"Name: Tala Valkov.

Code: T-V-002

Bitbeast: Wolborg.

Family: Unknown. T-V-002 was found in an empty alley when he was six, left with no-one to care for him. Had lived on the streets for one year when he was found. Has been loyal since.

Program: The perfect leader. And ruthlessness. Ability to kill in seconds. Operations was made when he was ten, modifications in his brain has made him mind superior to those around him. T-V-002 blocks out unnecessary emotions by instinct, leaving him with only the will to lead, to live and to win. _Newer note:_ Program has succeeded. Tala is now the ruthless leader, who can take the place of Hiwatari if the grandson never shows and lead the new world.

Group: Leader, division one.

Other notes: Takes punishment without showing emotions. Leaves his body to surgeries with without complaining. Follows orders no matter what it costs him. Blades against anyone without caring for friend of foe, teammate or enemy. Might even surpass the grandson in blading-abilities. The perfect child."

As they continued to read, they did not notice that 'the grandson' had entered the house. Luckily for them, he went directly for the kitchen, in where Ryuu and Bruce Granger were sitting and speaking. He ignored them and went for the coffee-machine, checking if it was still fresh and hot. It was, and he poured himself a cup with the attitude as if it was his own house. He did not see the slight displeasure pass over the youngest of the two Grangers, Tyson's father not very fond of him.

But he was stopped from going in to where his friends were sneaking around in his past. "Addicted, aren't ya, little dude." The teenager turned to the old man, an eyebrow raised while the eye under it showed slight annoyance. Only slight, for he had no reason to really not like the old man.

In the other room, his friends were watching the blond's pictures. He, too, had gotten punished with the whip, but what was more interesting was, that he seemed to isolate himself when he was younger. First picture of him, he had to be about four years. And he always stood on the side whenever the kids from that place got a change to socialize with each others. He had always been the silent of their team, but they had never thought he had actually been... shy.

Somewhere along the way, he and Tala somehow got friends. And read out loud by Kenny was the document:

"Name: Spencer Petrov.

Code: S-P-003

Bitbeast: Seaborg.

Family: Anya and Gregor Petrov. S-P-003 was taken away, aged four. Family later shot when he came in to the world championships, so they would not recognize him.

Program: Average student. Injected a few drugs for higher strength.

Group: Second in command, division one.

Other notes: Petrov the only kid calm enough to make the Seaborg listen. Seaborg has been without a carrier for a thousand years. Special boy. _Newer note:_ Petrov has voiced unredeemable opinions. A self-destructive chip has been placed in his spine to kill him if his opinions should affect his behavior."

Back in the kitchen, Kai turned away. "I have been drinking it since I was twelve," he explained, knowing what addiction the old man was talking about. Ryuu grinned at him, as always as hyper as Max. The teenager had never been able to understand this old man. He was supposed to be Tyson's grandfather, but he did not _act_ like a grandfather. For that reason, Kai had never been able to place his trust in the man, even if he could see the same kind of kindness in this old man as in the old man Dickenson. He was far too confusing for the teen.

"Well, then ya are certainly addicted. Ever thought of drinking something else, little dude? Something more child-like? Hot chocolate? What 'bout soda?" Kai turned away to hide how he rolled his eyes at the man and took another sip of his coffee. There was no sugar or milk in it, as he drank it all black and bitter.

"Don't like sweets."

They had thought they had seen everything Bryan had to offer in pictures, but it was certainly not the truth. He had come to the Balkov Abbey at the age of what seemed to be five. Unlike any other kid on the pictures, he was always smiling, and he seemed to try to be social everyone, even the guards that were there to control and punish him. Even when he got whipped for something, sadness did not overcome him. He seemed to be the brightest kid in that place...

Until he reached an age of about eight. From one picture to another, the smile disappeared. Everything disappeared. His whole personality changed. The boy with the lavender hair suddenly stopped smiling. Stopped socializing. His face became stone, his eyes dead. And then he got Falborg. And then he began smiling again. The bitbeast could make him smile. But it was only in battle, when he was killing his opponents with the wicked winds of his falcon. But the answer to the mystery got solved when Kenny began reading:

"Name: Bryan Kuznetsov.

Code: B-K-004.

Bitbeast: Falborg (troublesome).

Family: Killed. B-K-104 was taken to the abbey the same year, aged four. No records of their names.

Program: B-K-104 is an experiment. The kid was too happy, despite past. Made a surgery on his brain at the age of eight. A tiny machine was set in his brain, blocking all pleasure from his feelings. Happiness, socializing, laughing, none of it will give him pleasure. But the machine brings him pleasure if he harms others. The experiment is to see the effect on his personality, and Falborg (troublesome) will be given to him as the weapon to harm people.

_Newer note: _Experiment was successful and B-K-004 has become a ten-year-old sadist. New experiment to see how his body reacts on our new drug begun. _Newer note:_ B-K-004 has become physically even to a bear in strength as a cause of the drugs, but his anger and hate has become uncontrollable. Tends to throw things through the air at random times and yell at people he do not consider superior to him. _Newer note:_ Since B-K-004 is the only one to control the last 'Borg', he is put in division one as a new experiment to see how he can work with other at his age. Also, we will stop giving him the drug, as it no longer improves his body. Just to see the withdrawal symptoms and effects on his already unstable mind. _Newer note:_ B-K-004 has gone insane. The withdrawal was too hard on him. He and his bitbeast is a threat, but Boris denies it. B-K-004 only listen to Boris and his new captain, Tala (T-V-002).

Group: Elite soldier, division one.

Another note: All unknowing is to keep away from B-K-004. Dead can occur if you do not follow this order. Treated with special care. Kid is a weapon of highest rank."

It seemed so... insane to read. The worst enemy they had met... reading about something like this... They paused, not really wanting to know what happened to little Ian. And so, they were left to stare at the folder, with only two names they knew that they had not touched. And unable to resist, Kenny suddenly opened the folder named Kai Hiwatari, wanting to know more about his friend's dark past that connected him to the darkest team they had ever countered.

Then he opened the first picture and stared at it in silent surprise. How... How... _How...?_ On the picture was Kai, by far the youngest of the children they had seen. He sat in a cradle, about two years old, with the dark walls behind him, the only proof that they were still in the Balkov Abbey. His face and body were bruised, probably from when the guards in the Abbey tried to shut him up, and there was to be no life in his small, crimson eyes as he stared directly at the camera. The small hands of the boy held the bars on the cradle like a prisoner holding the bars to his cell.

And Kai entered just as the Chief was ready to continue, sitting down across of them with his cup of coffee. They all did what they could not to stare at him as Dizzy helped Kenny close the folders and hid them in a new folder called 'Flops'. The crimson eyes kept locked to the computer, and his head tilted to the side. "Good day, Dizzy," he said, and Tyson could not help but scowl at his welcome, even if he was still bound by the shock of his friend being captured and treated badly in such a young state. Just because he had not seen it had been that other computer!

"Good day to you too, Kai," Dizzy said, trying to hide her slightly shaky voice. The crimson eyes turned away from her, watching the people who stared at him, and he sat doing this for a very long time. The silence around them became long and awkward, but Kai would not forget his principles and actually ask them what was wrong with him this time. He just let the crimson eyes glare at them, demanding them to tell what this new behavior was about all of a sudden.

The group wanted nothing more but to open the files again and find out what it was and what it meant. It seemed like Kai had been... if not born there, then taken to the place while he still had no ability to even walk or speak. And since the people in the Balkov Abbey seemed to have killed both Spencer's and Bryan's parents without question, they did not really want to know what had happened to Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari. Even if they would be Voltaire's closer family, they could still imagine this ruthless place had killed them, too.

Before it all became too bad and they were forced to find a subject to talk about, Dizzy saved them. "Kenny, you just got an e-mail from Judy. Shall I open it for you?" the computer-voice said, sounding quite relieved at that moment. Like all the others, she had felt the awkwardness too, and she knew the Hiwatari would not forget this odd behavior. And that he would find a way to see what it had been about, and connect it all to her in some way.

"You may, please," the Chief answered, and could not help but smile at the blond, who stood behind him and seemed to explode with excitement at the sound of his mother's name. The e-mail opened on the screen, and Kai stood from his spot on the other side of the table to see what they were reading, taking another sip from the coffee. And despite what he had expected of the e-mail when it was from that woman, it was nearly so interesting that he choked on the coffee, and ended up having a hard time to hide his effort of coughing the hot liquid up again.

_To: Kenny Saien_

_Subject: Bitbeasts_

_Hello Kenny and the rest of the Blade Breakers. _

_We, at our research center, have invented a new machine, which will make you able to understand the language of bitbeast. We therefore offer you and any other blader with a bitbeast to come and visit us at our facility and speak to your bitbeasts on first hand. _

_You are invited to come Saturday, July 26th along with anyone you know who own a bitbeast. We hope to see you._

_And Max, would you please get your dad to come too?_

_Judy._

Speaking with his bitbeast? He had always wanted to speak with Dranzer, to know if it felt like he did... And even more important, to find out if she had forgiven him from his time with Black Dranzer. And as if it responded to his thoughts, the black bitbeast once again heated in his pocket to the point where he felt pain. Shutting his mouth tight, he moved around the table again and sat down, trying to suppress the groan of pain.

The black bitbeast stopped the heat for a second, only to make it even worse. Kai still did what he could not to give in to the pain and sound it, and did what he could to move the plastic away from his skin. The others had sat down too, them speaking as if everything was still okay and all sounding excited about the thought of getting to speak with their dear comrades and partners. But the excitement got cut short, and even Kai was not out of that category. As the words were spoken, he felt his back turn into ice as he stared at the computer.

"Oh no," Dizzy said, but only the Chief noted it at first, as he was the only one still by the computer.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I think... I think I just felt Black Dranzer..." she told, and the sound of that terrifying name brought silence about the room again. And even worse than the rest, Kai began to feel threatened. "I think it is reaching its 11th birthday."

"What does that mean?" Kai asked, and he felt their suspicious glances when he showed interest in the dangerous bitbeast. "And do you know where it is?" He could live with their suspicion. He could live with their looks. At least he knew that he had had the bitbeast with him for three years without wanting to use it even once. He had never asked for them to trust or like him, just to live with him, as he had decided to live with them. The trust and the liking simply had become a bonus.

"I do not know where it is, but when a bitbeast reaches its 11th birthday in our standards, the bitbeast begins to develop into its adult form between the 11th and 22nd birthday, its powers increases drastically." The voice of the always sarcastic bitbeast sounded scared. She sounded as though she would faint if she was able to. "I thought it was dead... that they had found some way to kill that dangerous being. If you think Black Dranzer was powerful before, it is nothing against what it will become in a short time from this point on."

Silence came over the room again, creeping at them from every corner of the suddenly very confined room. They were left alone to their dark thoughts, even the most positive of the gang could only think one thought. This is going to be bad. And even worse than the rest, was Kai. _Yes, the hell this is going to be bad,_ Kai thought, as his hand touched the pocket where that bitbeast was burning his skin away. It felt mad, and did not even try to convince him that he should do as it wanted and follow its ways, as he would have expected of it. It was doing this alone. He had the feeling that the bitbeast's lust for revenge had come back tenfold.

The building, which was shaped like a beyblade, slowly came in to view in the distance. It was lone standing in an empty plain in one of the large, wild areas of America, and one of the driest, where they had isolated them from unwelcomed eyes. The sun was not as beautiful as in Japan. There was no lake to reflect its beams from, no trees with leaves to shine through with light green grace, only very little grass standing in small groups every now and then and dusty dirt to land on. So for this area, it was no surprise that the sun seemed to shine with less passion than in their home. Kai even had a little trouble finding a straw to put in his mouth when they got out of the bus and went in to the building.

Like the outside, the inside was filled with simple colors. Grey, white and metallic-blue silver. It had not changed since last time they had been there, and the only last time Kai remembered was when his team had run around in the halls, searching for the secrets of the science they had hidden here. That time where he had been forced to find them, to make sure they did nothing stupid and... a little because he was curious about seeing what creations and what things they had there that he could strengthen his beyblade with. But that had been before he really had liked the team, so his curiosity probably played an important part.

"The only ones missing are the White Tigers. We even were able to find the Saint Shields, who are here, and the Psychics, but they said they did not need our offer." Judy showed up just as they had gotten in to the room the man in the white coat led them to. Kai always wondered why. _Why_ did they all wear white coats? They reminded him of the times he wanted to forget, and he was sure the Blitzkrieg-boys felt the same way. The difference was just that he had nearly no memories of what dark deeds people it white coats had done to him. Max went forward to hug his mother, the reunion happy for them both. The blond was always so happy, and his smile infected his surroundings.

Just inside, the teams they already knew were, along with some people they did not know, but who had somehow gotten a bitbeast. But the professional teams all had come together, isolating themselves slightly from the people they did not know. The Saint Shield were not in the category of their 'friends', even though Tyson, Max and Rei remembered to smile at them when they saw them. And standing in the gray-zone in between professionals and non-professionals, the Blitzkrieg-boys had found themselves comfortable, standing by the wall near the professional team, while the ones that did not fit in their 'group' stood on the other side of the room.

Another team who were off a little to the side were a surprise. Being naturally isolated from anyone, since they all had come to be known as the bad guys and that title still was not forgotten, the BEGA-team stood, looking more than a little uncomfortable. Or, all but Brooklyn, that is. The unstable teen had sat down on the floor and was giving himself time to sleep, probably his way to survive the tension and the looks both strangers and some of the professional teams sent them. But they had placed themselves well for their intentions of not being glared at, going nearly unnoticed in the darkest corner of the room.

The Breakers immediately went over to their friends, all except for Kai. He stood and leaned towards the wall beside his older friends, ending up standing beside Bryan. The least social of the group of unsocials. "Want to socialize all of a sudden?" Tala snorted, his cold eyes set upon the teams he knew from the competitions.

But Kai snorted back. "You all just looked so lonely," he answered, and the blond on the team could not help but smile at his words. "If I wanted to socialize, I would not come to you. I would stand over there and try not to get too annoyed whenever Michael opened his trap. With you, I do not socialize. The good thing about you is, that you do not insist on speaking when there is nothing to talk about."

Ian grinned widely. "So there is actually a good thing about us?" the small one said, and the smile that slowly had been forming on the giant's face spread on all their faces, except Bryan's. The coldest of them was too busy staring at the other teams, noting something he definitely did not like. And to calm him from reacting violently, Falborg sent a small amount of power in to his veins, letting the falcon's own calm press on to his body.

So instead of doing what he would have done even only one year ago, he simply spoke. Instead of throwing chairs, plant and pots from one end of the room to another, he said what gave him the want to do so. "Your team and the chimp's big brother are staring at us." The nickname they had found fit quite well. Chimp and champ looked alike, and he certainly acted like a chimp sometimes.

But he was right. They could not help it, after reading the files. They had only scratched the surface into the dark secret in BBA's archives that was nothing but three years old, and still, words formed in their heads. The one who seemed to be staring the least, but truly was most staring, was the Chief. His eyes were hidden behind the glasses and hair, hiding how his eyes had locked on each one of them as the same kind of small smile spread to all of their faces.

They first hit the blond, who did detect his stare and sent a kind, and yet reluctant smile. What was it... _taken away, aged four ..._ _voiced unredeemable opinions ... self-destructive chip ... _And Kenny wondered if it still was set on his spine, threatening his life if someone found out how to use it.

Beside him stood Tala, and the Chief felt, while looking in to those cold eyes, that little had changed since they had seen him the first time. That day he had smiled... and still, it had been so cold. When Ian had bladed them, when they tried to retrieve Kai, he had given them a cold smile... _ruthlessness ... kill in seconds ... without showing emotions ... program has succeeded ... _Shivers rolled down his spine at the thought of Tyson's battle with him those years ago. He certainly seemed to have been able to do it back then, killing, and maybe... even still. The look on his face was so

And in front of the redhead, Ian stood. The smaller was the first one they had met and bladed, the same time they had seen the redhead the first time. They had never got to read his files, but Wyborgs had been bad enough, and one thing about the most innocent-looking blitzkrieg-boy had stuck in the Chief's mind. _Natural lust to kill, infected the carrier. _Scary, just as anything about them. Wonder how many lives they had on their conscience each?

And lastly, Bryan stood, tapping his fingers on his elbows, seeming to be driven to the edge of his abilities of self-control. Though his had been the longest, Kenny could not remember anything about him. No sentences, nothing of that sort. Only one word. _Insane._ And that picture with him and Falborg. The blood that filled the background of the picture. And yet, Kenny was sure there was so much more.

At that moment, just as the hidden eyes were turned to the Chief's own teammate, and the picture of the toddler in the cradle immediately came to his mind, the White Tigers entered. Shaken out of the thoughts, Kenny could concentrate on the lighter part of life. Judy seemed to stop concentrating on her son and remember what they had actually come for, and she moved to the middle of the room to draw attention to herself.

"All have come now. As you have come to know, we have made a machine, enabling you to speak with your bitbeast. I would like you to split up, so half of you comes with me now, and the other half waits here." It somehow seemed natural that the professional bladers came together and were the first to go. That included the BEGA-team, and they moved through the non-colored halls to a new room. This was a lab instead of some kind of living-room. And there was something like a beystadium with a giant glass-bowl set over it.

"Basically, you launch your blade into the beystadium, and we turn on the machine. The bowl goes down over the stadium, and we pick up the small sounds they make inside the confinements of the bowl and translate it from the old, Egyptian codes they use to speak with each other," Emily explained, and then nodded to Hiro, standing beside his little brother. The older Granger seemed suddenly very interested in her words. "You and your father's research is what made this possible. You would probably be able to understand them even without the translator."

Hiro laughed and lifted his hands to act modest. "You give me too much credit," the older brother said, grinning at her. "I may be able to read the words, but the spoken words are a totally different matter. Talk to my dad about that."

"Oh, we have," Emily said, smiling brightly at him. _Snobby ass_, still was the only thought Kai could get out of his mind about her. "But we need someone to go first. If we are lucky, and the bitbeasts are more or less quiet, we can have up to ten blades spinning at once, so to make it easy for us to hear the different bitbeast without using too much time, my suggestion is that we take one team at a time. So, who wants to start?"

"We would like to," Tala surprised them all by saying. "If it means we go home faster that way."

"It can be arranged," Judy said, while Tyson found himself staring at the redhead whom he had actually begun to like after he had been in the coma less than a month ago. But now, he had gotten back to just be a pain in the ass.

"If you really do not want to be here, then why the hell did you come?"

"None of your business," Bryan sneered at him, coming up to stand behind his captain along with his two teammates. Kai had gone back to be where the Breakers were, but they did not need him to be terrifying. It was just an aura they all carried around them, something that made them seem inhuman. And according to their files, they were... "Do we have your approval to be the first?" The new angle from the brutal teen was a surprise. He seriously sounded like he was going to listen if he got a no. Still, even the adults decided not to go against the independent teens.

"Of course," Emily said, after having looked to Judy and gotten a nod. "Just launch the blades, then we will do the rest." They followed orders, stood ready and launched, and four blades hit the stadium in a square, equal lengths between them as their blades formed the corners. Trained to blade together, and trained from such a young age, they launched with such precision.

But it did not last. Falborg was the first to destroy their perfect formation when the machine turned on and the bowl began coming down on them. Already then they could hear a weak voice, but it was merely a whisper and was impossible to determine the gender. But the words were recognizable. "Never – never – never again – no more glass – no more glass is going to confine me – trap me – I kill it – now – never – never again." A slicing wind blew past everyone in the lab, and no one had any doubt in their minds which of the bitbeasts it was that had spoken.

"Bryan, if your winds destroy this machine, it is you who will pay-" Michael warned, trying not to show just how uncomfortable the winds made him. He and a few of the others had gotten light cuts on their bodies, and Rei seemed like he was about to faint at the thought of his old battle with the brutal blader. But the four boys seemed mesmerized by this new discovery, and when they heard something speak behind Michael's voice, even the two kinder bladers of the Blitzkrieg-Boys hushed angrily. And both Bryan and Tala glared at him before turning to the stadium again.

"Just calm down, young one," a voice that was so deep the words were nearly impossible to separate from each other, while Seaborg's blade found its place in the middle of the stadium, and Wyborg began zigzagging across the stadium in the pattern they all knew so well. Wolborg just made a circle, like Falborg, but the gray blade was slower and calmer. "It will not harm you. Glass is not as bad as you think it to be." The voice got clearer when the bowl settled around the stadium, but even then, it was so deep it nearly was nothing but a humming sound. But it sounded so... calm. So unlike any other voice they had ever heard.

The thought going through all their heads was the same. Which of the bitbeast was that voice? They looked at each other, and Spencer just shrugged and waited for the next words as Falborg slowed down and held steady at the side of the stadium. They were all waiting for new words... but there was nothing. "Are you sure it is working?" Tala asked, sounding annoyed as he watched his own blade spin in the quiet that was so silent it hurt their ears.

But Emily just nodded while she turned and pushed buttons and looked confused. "I do not understand this. I have turned the volume to max, but there still is nothing. It is as though they do not speak, but the bitbeasts we already have used the machine on spoke without stopping ever since they were sent out. It does not make any sense..."

Like when you poke at the glass to a fishbowl, Bryan sent his fist right in to the glass. The speakers screamed when the air inside the confined space vibrated, and the sound hurt their ears. Everyone in the room groaned in pain, and his teammates cursed at him. But he did not care, only stared at the blades in the stadium. "Speak, for fuck's sake," the violent teenager growled, his hand still on the glass.

"Bryan, if you cannot act properly, I am afraid I will have to throw you out," Judy warned, but Bryan was just about to spit on the floor to show her what he thought of her threat. But before he got to do it, and Judy and the rest of the adults got a reason to throw him out of the lab, the sound inside the bowl stopped resounding, and the bitbeasts inside the bowl were able to speak again, and their words gave him other things to think about.

"What is that guy's fucking problem?" a rough female voice said, sounding angry. Bryan gritted his teeth, his hands clenched into fists, and he looked ready to destroy the bowl with his bare hands. All the while, the youngest of the team seemed to have a lot of fun, looking from one of his teammates to the other.

"So, who of us have a female?" he asked, grinning to every one of them. Spencer could not help but grin either, but he suppressed his laugh to nothing but a chuckling smirk. Inside the room, every one of the teenage-girls glowered at them, never before having heard that slightly man chauvinistic way of thinking they had gotten.

"It might as well be you," Tala said, he too grinning slightly. But that was stopped a second later, when the deep, kind, yet growling voice spoke again. And it revealed who the female voice was.

"Speak more kindly, Wolborg."

"But Dad, that fffuuuc... that basssta... That kid is getting on my nerves!" Ian was on the floor, laughing at that his captain was the owner of a female bitbeast. All the while, Bryan was getting more and more angered, his pale face reddening faster than the sun rose. His clenched fist were shaking as his eyes sought the room for something to throw, once again on his way in to the senseless state his anger took him to.

But it seemed the two most brutal of their kinds were not as much brutes as people thought. Another female voice, this one softer and sounding far more innocent than Wolborg's, Falborg showed a side of her that was not violent, angry or anything of the sort. "Shh, my little hatchling, calm down." So soft, like a mother, and they could see how the clenched fist loosened, the face got pale again, and his whole body stopped being tense. "How _dare_ you speak about my hatchling while he listens!" The voice was so different from seconds before, and they certainly recognized the other side of the bitbeast. The only side they knew. Cold, hard, the soft voice contorted to one of a demon.

What no-one noticed was that Bryan's eyes widened at the change of the voice. "What do you mean, that they can hear us?" It was a totally new voice, sounding more slippery and light than the deep, calm one.

"Obviously, since my hatchling has gotten angry for no reason."

"Your so-called hatchling _always_ gets angry for no reason," the new male voice said.

"Well, have to know if they can hear us, then... Ian, you have an ugly nose, why not get a nose job?" Wolborg said, causing most of the people in the lab to laugh. The small teen growled, along with the new male voice.

"Hey!" they both said, while the laughter died down.

"Well, at least we know they can hear us now," Wolborg said, "I am sorry Ian, but I knew you would react to it." There was something in the voice that reminded them of a playful dog, wagging its tail while, waiting for the hand to throw so it could get to run once again. An energetic, slightly malicious, but still kind, little animal.

"Spencer," the deep voice said, and the blond nodded to tell that he listened. "You need to get the surgery. You know what I am talking about. It is a threat to you." A flicker of recognition came past Judy's face, but she turned to hide it from the confused teenagers, both those on and not on the team. But the blond shook his head.

"No-one is going to figure out the system anyway. And if they do, the worst thing happening is my death."

They did not hear the sigh of defeat from the voice that so obviously was Seaborg. For Emily announced that their time had passed and was just about to turn it off when a voice broke the small silence. "Another moment, Emily?" the female voice of Falborg begged, and she hesitated. Once again, the voice was kind. "Bry-Bryan, wh-what is the problem?" she asked. Once again, the brutal teen had clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, and the bitbeast rose half way from the blade so she could look at him as an equal.

And the teen's eyes opened, colder than before remembered as he stared in to the eyes of the falcon. "Who are you?"

"You know who I am, hatchling. Please, calm down again, do not lose your mind in a place like this." But Bryan just shook his head and disappeared from the room with an angered growl, and the bitbeast screamed and sent its winds at the glass, just before it ended up dropping dead on the floor.

The three other Blitzkrieg-Boys shared a look as the glass lifted, and the caught their blades while the blond stepped down in the stadium to pick up the fallen falcon, he the only one letting the confusion pass on his face, showing that even his team did not understand his behavior. "Good bye," the captain of the team said just before disappearing through the same door as their mate had.

"Go on," Judy said, before she went on out for the door to follow the team. Emily just nodded, and the White Tigers got to try. They saw what the redheaded girl had meant when she had been confused about the silence, since there were no moments of silence when the bitbeasts of the cat-people. They interacted constantly, with much of the same lightheartedness the villagers spoke with others with. Though still respecting each other, there were no moments of silence, and the bitbeasts also realized the ability to speak with their carriers much faster than the others, thanks to the snickers their way of speaking brought upon their surroundings.

When they had used their time, the Blade Breakers got their time. They launched their blades, and the first thing they heard was the beautiful humming of a female voice. "I did not know there was a female among our bitbeasts," Tyson said, breathless at the beauty, but also knowing that it was not his own. So his eyes were watching his mates, who did the same. Well, except for Kai, who was simply watching his blade as it circled in front of Dragoon, waiting for his command to attack the sworn rival of her carrier. And a smile broadened on his face.

"We are able to hear you, if you are shy singing in front of strangers," he informed, and the humming stopped. Then, a laughter of a female trilled in their ears like a bird, bringing some kind of warmth in the hearts of the listeners.

"How did you know it was my, youngest Hiwatari?" the voice asked.

"Of a dragon, a turtle, a tiger and a phoenix, who should be the one to sing?" Kai answered her, and a smile was on his face as he spoke with her. Since it was him, it was a special thing. But what was more special than this?

"Hey, I am perfectly capable of singing!" another bitbeast said, this one a soft male voice.

"Everyone can sing, Draciel, but it is how well it sounds that matters," another voice said, this one lower and harsher.

"True, Drigger, but I still can," Draciel said again. "Anyone want to hear?"

"No," Drigger deadpanned, and the last voice chuckled. A deep voice, much like the one that Seaborg owned.

"I would like to," Max said, his bright smile was contagious. But just as the water-bitbeast took a deep breath to begin his song, Kai felt that burn by his leg. He nearly fell to the floor, the powers trying to take over his mind, but he was still able to stand there without it being visible on him. But still, the bitbeasts felt the black creature's powers, and the breath Draciel was about to use for singing became a yelp of surprise.

"What is that bastard doing now, and where is it?" Dragoon's slightly strained voice said, and a hiss came from Draciel. It seemed the turtle did not want to hear the bad words about the black bitbeast.

"Speak nicely of it, Dragoon," the turtle said, nearly growling.

"For what reason?" Drigger said. "He is only saying the truth. And we have reasons for hating it."

"Kai," the female voice said, and the teen jumped in surprise. "Tell them, or I will." The red eyes just stared at the blade, before he shook his head. "Oh, for... Hiwatari, take some responsibility in your life!"

"I already have," Kai growled, glaring at the blade.

"By what, keeping a weapon that is able to give you the greatest satisfaction?"

"Do not degrade it to a weapo-" Draciel tried, but Kai was too angry to respect the bitbeasts right to speak.

"I am only keeping it to keep it away from others hands!"

"Even though you know no one other than you can use it?"

"Even so, it is still able to control other people! Imagine what it can do then!"

"Imagine what it can do if _you_ finally break!"

"What are you talking about?" Judy asked, trying to break through the intense argument.

Dranzer sighed. "Since he do not want to speak, I guess I have to tell." She sounded sad as she defied the beloved carrier. "Kai has Black Dranzer in his possession." All except for the BEGA's gasped, the former followers of Boris not having seen the first championship. "He has had it ever since he got it back from his grandfather. It has not been a problem before now, but the black phoenix has awakened from its sleep after it 11th birthday and is trying to get its revenge on the world once again."

"Kai," Judy said, her voice not tolerating any arguments. "Give me that blade."

But the teenager rolled his eyes. "It is impossible. But you are welcomed to try taking it." He unpocketed it and pointed it towards her. "If you want to risk your sanity and good health. No one can touch it without special gloves. The bitbeast has the ability to go in to the mind of the one carrying it and control and drive them nuts."

"Like Zeus," Brooklyn mumbled, his eyes falling to his own pocket. "K-Kai..." It was the first time he said anything, and knowing that most of the people in the lab did not like him, even if Tyson had forgiven him, and he seemed slightly confused when all their eyes turned to him. "Do... do you know what it wants? Why it is so angry?"

"Of course I do not!" Kai said, taking the black beyblade back in to his pocket. "I use my time on ignoring it. For obvious reasons. I do not wish to turn my back on my bitbeast and my team again for powers that should never have been born."

"All bitbeasts have their reasons of their doings. If it awakens now, there must be a reason..." Brooklyn's eyes sought for ones showing kindness, but could not find any which really seemed to trust his words. That was the feeling he had until Hiro broke out of the group and went forward to place a hand on Brooklyn's shoulder.

"I think Brooklyn has gotten something. We have to know the intentions of the bitbeast, no matter how much we hate it. And even if there is nothing but hate in the bitbeast, then we at least can get a glimpse of its plans," Hiro said, not saying his thoughts too obviously. But they all knew. "Could you launch it to the machine, so we can hear what it says?" the light-blue haired asked, still having his hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. He notes that the boy had gotten skinnier, but did not comment on it while all eyes were on them.

"I would like him not to do that," Judy said, and Kai scowled at her. Not that he did not understand her, and not that he would have agreed to launch the blade knowing that it might just get out of hand, but she could at least let him say no himself instead of deciding for him. "We have a device that can hear the bitbeasts outside that stadium," she continued, sounding far less anxious and desperate. "Though without the blade spinning, the voice will be weak."

For some reason, Kai did not like it, but he did not complain. If he did, it would seem he took the bitbeasts side. Just because it was him, they would think he had gotten tempted again. Tempted by that... power. He knew there was so much more... so much more than what he had experienced... But he would not turn his back to anyone anymore. At least not for that bitbeast. Not again.

He took the blade from the pocket again, but it was just that moment it decided to act up again. Heat burned his fingertips, and a single spark danced over his skin, before a flicker of darkness that felt far too well-known sprung out from the plastic to harm him. The blade landed on the floor, and Kai's unharmed hand went to touch its partner to feel what damage had been done. The red eyes fell to the hand, too, and found that it had been seared.

He was very sure he heard clicking from inside the beyblade, noises as it fell down. It tried to move, tried to spin, without the help from a launcher. He had seen it d so. Back in Russia. When he had seen it as his new partner, and they had liked each other. Now, he was quite sure the bitbeast hated him for having held it imprisoned for so long. And he had decided to hate the bitbeast for hating him, and making him do what he had done.

Judy connected an antenna-looking thing to the speakers with a wire, then turned it on and held it over the blade. It was motionless, despite its attempts not to be. And when the machine was turned on, a voice that sounded more like it came from and old, scratchy radio stopped the silence that had overcome the room at the news about the evil bitbeast.

"_My master ... have not ... by my master ... long time … ty five years ... more than twenty five years... he is there ... killed ... humans can be killed ... a long time since ... where he lay..._"

It was weak, it was scratchy, and it was shaky. But the important things was found. "Who is his master?" Kai asked, looking towards the still spinning four. "Who is he, and where is he now?"

"Do not know," was the answer from both the tiger, the dragon and the phoenix.

"It was my sister who found it," Draciel told, and they all looked at the blade questioningly. "Wolborg. She is the one who I guess know most about that spirit. Though antisocial most of the time and a little snippy when you wake her too early, she is sharp as a pig and has the memory of an elephant, and probably has every detail you should want."

This was the time where Judy showed just how important the matter was in her mind. "Emily, would you mind going in to the other guests and tell them that there has been a complication, but we will continue next week?" The girl nodded and left the room as fast as she could. "Michael, go to the entrance and see if you can reach the Blitzkrieg-Boys. If the others do not want to come back, then let them be, but make sure Tala comes with you back here."

"Why me?" the baseball-player whined as he stood, but stood from where he had sat down.

"Because you are the fastest runner, and they are already on their way to the bus. If they have reached it, they are driving toward the airport, you know the one? Take the motorcycle if they already have reached the bus." She tossed him the key to the vehicle, and he stared at her in dumb shock.

"Did you seriously say...?"

"Yes, I told you to take the motorcycle, now move your lazy body and run for the Blitzkrieg-Boys!" The All-Star finally got to move, and Judy turned to Hiro, who still stood with his hand on Brooklyn's shoulder. "Do you have Dickenson's number?" The young man nodded. "Call him. Now. Max." The blond boy looked up at his mother, nearly looking like he feared what orders he would be given. "Dad has come with you, right?" The boy nodded.

"He did not come here immediately. He had some business in town."

"Call him and say he has to come here immediately."

"Why these sudden orders?" Rick demanded, one of the few not having seen, but only knowing the terror of Black Dranzer from what he had seen on the television. Judy turned to him, not realizing the antenna still was turned one and standing over the black blade.

"We have heard rumors about this bitbeast far worse than what is seen. That it has a power so strong it can kill bitbeast. A _bitbeast_. _We_ do not know how to destroy a bitbeast. Imagine what this power could do to the world if the bitbeast got stronger than it already is. And if it is so young that it only just has reached its 11th birthday..." Hiro cursed under his breath, receiving a small look from the one his hand still rested on the shoulder of. "Well, its power will increase a lot, and I hope I am not there before its hate and lust for revenge over whatever has happened gets so strong that it just explodes from that beyblade and go for a rampage to destroy our planet. We must find a way to either tame it or kill it as fast as possible."

"So you are pissed off that I did not tell you." It was not a question, but a statement, and Kai bowed down to pick up the beyblade again and get it out of their sights. It ruined the mood, and he was quite sure they would be angry at him for the rest of the night. If he was lucky, Tala would not be affected the same way, and he would at least have one to turn to in this 'troubled time' he did not really have. But he did not get to take the blade again, when the voice suddenly came back. And the words it said stopped time..

"_... burned ... master burned ... the holy man ... burned alive ... so hard ... fought so hard ... he burned ... I burned ... yes, I burned ... soul burned ... portantly, my heart ... out of my body ... nothing but a pile of ash ... God-child, he said ... a big future ... but he burned ... I was no more ... kill the murderers ... was no more ... you should never have left me..._"

* * *

This was the first chapter. Second chapter will not be written or send in probably a long time, since this story if lying at the near bottom of my list of importanties. Also, the future chapter will probably be very much shorter than this. Still, I hope you liked it, and everything ^^

Enjoy in joy ^^


	2. The misunderstood

I have had a very good Christmas, and I ended up typing endlessly and not being able to stop I hope this is okay, and that you are not bored and that it is worth it ^^ Though I had a fun time writing it.

Warnings: Look at first chapter.

Disclaimer: Look at first chapter.

Reviews:

Phoenixfyre101: Thank you for your kind words. Updating will not happen often, but it will happen, I promise.

Poppies in July: You seem very excited, don't you? I just hope this chapter does not destroy that excitement, though I am sorry I will not update fast in this one. Not for a year or so, at least, though chapters will come in time.

: I updated now ^^ But as I am sad to say, I won't update very often. I have too many other stories to write.

And that was it for now. On to the story.

* * *

The misunderstood

* * *

_I was not going to be a part of any society, group or anything. No one would have the same view as I upon humans, and they would not let me avenge anything. I had to be alone._

* * *

A motorcycle sped down the road faster than any car would dare, whirling up the dust the winds had blown up on the asphalt from the dry lands. Turning with the road, sharply to the right, the motor groaned in protest as the vehicle laid down to the side. Cursing under his breath as it nearly flew off the road, he pulled it up again and picked up speed once more, his riding of the bike so wild his life was on the line. One wrong move, and the bike would roll over and destroy him.

Anyone knowing Michael would have known he was doing it more for the rush of adrenaline than the tight situation they was put in. Just that Judy let him use the monstrous thing told him how desperate she was, but the only thing he could keep in mind was enjoying it while it lasted. In the back of his mind, worry had already planted a seed, and he cursed the Hiwatari for the hundredth time in his life. Yet the ride... this bike... it nearly was worth it.

A big silhouette showed in his front, promising him he was getting nearer. If it was not a truck, it would definitely be their bus. Pressuring the vehicle a little further, even more speed was put on to it, weighing it down as he held his eyes on the big vehicle in front of him through the glass of his helmet. He was getting closer, and leaned over to the other side so he was on the wrong side of the road. He flew past it and stopped a few hundred meters in front of it, holding his hand up to signal it to stop.

Another rush of adrenaline rushed past him as he saw how the bus slowly stopped, and finally held still about ten feet in front of him. He took off the helmet and dragged the bike in front of opened bus-door. The driver stared at him, confusedly, clearly not understanding, but knowing something dangerous was about to happen. Either that, or the unrealistic situation that Michael had 'borrowed' the motorcycle and was stupid enough to get seen.

"What is it?" the man asked as the four intimidating boys came to the front of the bus and stared at him with different stares, everything from a look of confusion and irritation to a glare of hate and annoyance. The baseball-player took his hand through his hair to make it sit perfectly again, doing what he could to ignore the team of glaring bladers and stop himself from panting after the physically exhausting ride to get to the bus.

"Emergency," he stated, making all the eyes on him change to slight worry for a second. The last few times they had had... 'emergencies' or 'situations', it had been Boris in one way or another. "They have to get back to the facility immediately." This time, the change in the looks was permanent. Defiance and contempt. No chance they were going back without knowing what was happening. Michael sighed, annoyed. This was why he hated those guys so much.

"Do you think we are stupid enough just to follow you without wanting answers?" Tala stepped out in front and stood between the bus driver and All-Star member. "What is the situation?" he asked, looking just as cold as always. Many had claimed to see a change in the wolf's attitude. Michael had always known they were wrong.

Clenching his teeth to stop himself from biting back, he took a deep breath to calm down. If he started biting at them, they would go for the throat, and he was alone. They were four, all cold and strong and, though he did not admit he thought so, very scary. "As far as I have understood, Black Dranzer is coming back, and they need your bitbeast to explain. Seems Wolborg is the one with most information about the monster."

No more explanation was needed for Tala to jump down from the bus and look over his shoulder. "Spence, I need you." The giant nodded, silent as ever, and pushed past the last two Blitzkrieg-Boys. All the while, Tala went to the motorcycle and opened the hind seat to find a helmet underneath, not caring for the protests from the baseball-player.

"What do you think you are- Hey!" Michael began, his face and attention turned to the redheaded captain of the dark team, but was cut short when a big pair of arms captured his stomach and lifted him from the ground incredibly gently. He squirmed, trying to get out of the grip, but Spencer squeezed him to make him still. And it helped, as the sudden pain in his abdomen made him realize that he could do nothing. He laid limply in the blonde's grip, only holding his head up to keep an eye on what Tala was doing.

The redhead covered his fiery hair with the helmet found, and the blond put down his victim again, gently, only to break the illusion of kindness he had put up around him by ripping off the helmet from his hands so harshly that some of his nails broke and created drops of blood. Not caring that the helmet was slightly too small for his head, the blonde put it on and mounted the bike, the redhead sitting behind him and taking an arm around his waist.

"We're going to borrow this," were the first words the silent giant said before starting the vehicle and driving off at a speed that was only slightly more secure than the one Michael had come with. The blonde was the only one knowing how to drive a motorcycle, and so he was coming with Tala as a bodyguard instead of the stronger Bryan or faster Ian.

Michael stood for a moment, his bloody fingers in his mouth to rid them for the blood, and glared angrily at the disappearing form of the vehicle before turning his eyes to the bus he was going to ride in. Two pairs of angry eyes were set on him, distrust and pure hate in both of them. His look turned to the bike once more, but this time it was longingly instead as he now feared he would never survive the busride back to the camp.

And in his fearing and narrow mind, he had no energy left to notice how, behind the crimson eyes of the small teen, fear was very evident, or how, staining the cheeks and reddening the eyes of the bigger, only minutes-old paths of tears kept the face of Bryan wet. He only felt regret for not having but up a bigger fight against the blonde giant as he moved inside the bus to the two dangerous beings.

* * *

"... Yes... No, now, Dad... Mom says it is important..." The blue eyes of Max turned to his mother, his hand still holding the phone to his ear. He saw permission in the look she sent him, and continued. "It is Black Dranzer... No, we know where it is, Kai had it... I know, I know, please calm down a sec.! The bitbeast is awake, and we need your help... Come as fast as you can..."

Kai watched the exchange from the corner of the room where he had found peace, and watched how panic had rose in the eyes of the scientists and some of the bladers, how confusion kept in the eyes of the BEGA's, how the hate he had always felt they held towards him had doubled in the eyes of the remaining members of the All-star-team. One that had always had a problem with him, along with the man's father, was Hiro, but surprisingly enough the man had not sent him one single look, too engaged in a conversation with Brooklyn.

The black blade which was the source of all the problems was lying confined in a glass-bowl much like the one where they could hear their own bitbeast. He was quite sure that one had the same function as the big, since Emily, having come back from her errand to tell the rest of the bladers of the postpone, sat with headphones on and scribbled down on a piece of paper. He wanted to know what it said, but kept calm.

If he showed too much interest, he was doomed to be under its control again. Or that was how they saw it. They could not even start to understand how much he hated the creature for what it had tricked him to do, to turn his back to all those showing him the meaning of kindness. And most importantly his own bitbeast. Did they think him stupid and cold enough to do it again? Or... did they think him too weak to control the beast? Was that the problem?

No matter what, it was stupid.

He caught the last words from Max as he said goodbye to his father. "Thank you, Dad." The blonde passed the phone to his mother, only for her to turn to Hiro and give it to him. The reason for this was only heard by Brooklyn, who was still standing by his old coach. Kai had thought that the elder of the two brothers had only shown interest in the prodigy to fool the enemy, but it seemed he was wrong about that.

The time was only passing by slowly, and the slate began counting the amount of deadly looks given to him by the rest of the room. He reached 36 before Emily moved and took off the headphones. She gave the paper to Judy and began explaining, but luckily for the rest of them, it was loud enough for others to hear. "It is constantly the same things. It is as though its mind cannot contain anymore than the things already planted there, the thought of revenge for something humans should have done, as well as the years since he last met with someone it refers to as 'the holy man'. Every once in a while, it also mentions a 'blessed boy', but while I have understood that it hates our race and have some kind of warm feelings for 'the holy man', this 'boy' stands unexplained."

"Nothing more?" Judy asked.

"Other than the ways it will make us burn, wilt away, crush our skulls or other ways of destroying us, there is nothing more. There will be no answers before Tala returns, unfortunately." Like in a play or a movie, just as she said those words, the door was opened by said redhead, followed closely by his blonde teammate. They were both taken aback by the sudden positive interest they were met with, where they normally felt like they were treated like creeps and trash by the people standing around them now. Tala even took a step back, falling into the arms of his bigger mate.

"What are you staring at?" he spat, not knowing any other way to react to the impressions they were sending him and giving him. They looked away, all but the adults, when they realized they had been staring. Judy and Hiro, on the other hand, narrowed their eyes thoughtfully, even if the intimidating air radiating from the redhead felt just as strong for them. And they caught the glimpse of confusion, and even fear, in the face of the wolf. The last time people had showed such interest in him, he probably had either woken from the hospital or broken free of the cyborg thoughts implanted in his brain.

He, too, let the blue eyes fall to the side as he fought to regain his mask of cruelty. Judy decided to help him, even if it was the first time she truly saw a side of him that she had always suspected and that she would have loved to study closer. They needed him, they needed to be fast, and he was the only one who could help them. Or, his bitbeast, that is. "Would you mind launching your blade into the bowl like before?" she asked.

Immediately when her words reached his mind and blocked out the feeling of insecurity, the mask was on again, and he nodded curtly, the serious aura that always seemed to be flowing around him clearer than ever seen before. It was much like the time they had confronted the BEGA to put a stop to Boris once and for all. He took a few steps forward to get closer to the stadium, but was still on the verge of being too far away as he launched. Still, the gray blade shot out and landed inside the stadium, even if it was further from the middle than his normal standards.

It was first now that Emily realized something important, and her gaze slipped to the door. "Where is Michael?" she asked accusatory, stepping towards the wolf who was concentrating on his blade as the glass closed in on the top. This concentration was actually false, as it truly was Tala still trying to calm his mind and get the feeling of being hunted away, and the only one realizing it was the only one you could expect to.

So Spencer moved in between his captain and the girl, establishing all the dangerous energy and hate he hid inside his giant body and letting it out in his glare to keep her away. "We borrowed the bike to get here faster. He is with the rest of our team in the bus." He turned his head to the blonde woman, his eyes going from awful to kind in a matter of seconds. "Can we get on now? This matter is very problematic for us all."

Judy had been about to reprimand him for driving the vehicle as she thought he was without a license, but seeing another thing in the eyes of a Blitzkrieg-Boy she thought it would take years before they were dug free, she nodded and turned to the blade in the bowl. "Wolborg, are you listening?" she asked as if it was perfectly normal to speak into the nothingness a blade hid itself as. But it answered immediately.

Emily stepped backwards, clenching her teeth as she watched the blonde giant. No matter what the rest of them said and thought, she was worried of her teammate, and could see the same worry in the rest of her team's eyes. They all shared the same thought; if they was caught in a closed space with two members from _that_ team, Ian and Bryan would be the last choice by far. At least Spencer seemed calm and collected, and despite his seemingly angry outside, the redhead was at least able to speak sense.

"Why should I not? Bickering is always interesting." Playful like a puppy, that was the only way to describe the voice of the bitbeast. Wagging its tail at its master and jumping happily around him while thinking of the shoe behind the closet it had just torn to pieces. Yet despite her interesting temper, the blade was still standing still in the bowl, trained to only follow Tala's commands no matter the mood it was in.

On the side of the stadium, though, Tala rolled his eyes at its words and looked commandingly at Judy. He did not know enough of the situation to ask the question, and she seemed to be the only one able to speak. Seeing his look, the woman continued. "We need to hear what you know about the bitbeast Black Dranzer, all the information you have. If you know why it is reacting now, we would be glad if you would share it, too."

The silence following made them unsure if the spirit had heard them, and Judy began wondering if she should repeat her words. Luckily for them, she waited, and the grave tone in the former happy voice made them understand how this bitbeast and the gloomy Tala could be connected. Her seriousness reminded them of his. "Time creates understanding, and understanding gives regrets." The tone seemed to make the temperature in the room fall several degrees, and the voice forced everything of flesh and blood to shiver.

"When I found Black Dranzer, it was a broken, hateful child I met. I did not understand it then. Neither male nor female, it confused me, and its way of speaking and lack of knowledge made me not know what to do with it all alone. It was lying on the ground in what you prefer to as Russia, and the only way I can describe it for you to understand is as a three- or four-year-old kid, left alone in the world without a parent to guide.

I do not know much, to be honest, but I know it had a carrier – a master, it described him as. The holy man, who also created it from the exact same machines that created the new bitbeasts. It has to be in the beginning of the last century, if it is now reaching its eleventh birthday. It saw him as its parent, and I found it on his grave, where his ashes had been spread. How he had died, I do not know... But I believe it is the reason for its anger towards humans.

My biggest regret is letting it go and letting it slip out of my mind. As a female, I am supposed to have a motherly instinct, even if my many brothers and sister claim I have none. But it was so weird I was unable to understand it at the time. I thought it was best to be left alone, or killed so that it could not create the chaos it wished to make. And my problem with accepting it as a living being and as a creature able to live and feel as myself, I blocked it from my mind and let it on its own, already sailing in the stormy sea it wanted to make.

The next time I met it, it was then I realized my mistake. It had grown even more vicious, even more evil, and had created an element so destructive that it killed another spirit. The black flames, the combined power of the two opposites, fire and darkness, is able to make stone crumble and trees wilt, glass boil and humans melt. It also controlled the minds of humans or destroyed them without showing regret. Yet the man with the glasses..."

Tala stirred, while Spencer, who's eyes had been directed to the black blade in the corner of the room, snapped his head towards the stadium.

"Boris, I think you call him..."

Both of the boys' hands curled up into fists while the rest of the room shifted.

"He found this destructive force fascinating.

Black Dranzer is even now still only a child. Its power is rising, more than I believe it is able to control. It is stronger than all spirits I have ever known even when I met it for the first time, and I cannot imagine anything else than that this world is going to be destroyed in an inferno of black flames if it is not killed."

The room was silent as though the humans was too occupied by making sense of the words from the bitbeast to answer. A low hum, coming from nowhere, told that the bitbeast was still there, and after another minute, she once again began speaking. "It was misunderstood... I did not understand what misunderstood could do to a mind before I was caught in the abbey. There, one misunderstood after another was created by torture and science, giving me the ability to understand what I and the rest of my kind did when we damned the black phoenix."

"You speak stupid things," Tala said, and for a moment the rest thought he was speaking of the Abbey. He was not. "A bitbeast able to control and destroy another mind cannot be called 'misunderstood'. One who cause so much chaos can only be evil. It is as if you protect a beast that should have been killed at birth." His voice was icy as his eyes diverted to the black blade on the other side of the room. The eyes seemed to burn with the cold in his homeland.

"Think of yourself, as well as Spencer, Bryan, Ian and I, before speaking those words," Kai interrupted with a voice as hard as the eyes of the redheaded captain. Tala turned, and they glared each other down, trying to get the upper hand with just the glares they both mastered to such success that they ended up equal.

"Why are you protecting it?" the wolf growled. Spencer stepped out to the side of the room, near the wall, to get as far away from the two as possible.

"I am not," the slate said curtly, his voice growing darker as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes you are. Do you not think that you caused enough trouble the first time? Wanna play some more?" Tala spat, as the temperature in the room seemed to drop and rise along with the psychological struggle between them. On the sideline, Wolborg growled, and if she had been a part of it too, Dranzer would probably have cried her own anger out.

"You seem to be the one interested in the power. I seem to remember jealousy on your part, isn't that right?" How he could be so quiet and seem so calm when Tala seemed to be on the verge of yelling, only the creator of Kai would know. He just stood there and stared daggers at the other.

"How dare you!" Wolborg howled along with Tala's insult: "Your grandfather would probably be proud." Only then, his mouth snapped shut, and he seemed to realize what words he had just uttered. He opened his mouth again to even apologize, but Kai was faster, and he was too out of his mind to consider listening.

"At least I pulled away instead of staying at his side like a trained dog, unlike what you did to Boris."

Tala no longer had an apology in mind at the mention of that man.

"He manipulated us! You know that, you cowardly freak!"

"You only did so because he was the only one who cared for you, right?"

"Watch it, Kai, or you will regret it," Tala sneered, and the cold in the room finally seemed to win.

"Boys, please calm do-" Judy begged as Spencer invisibly made ready to launch at them and take them apart.

"Shut it!" both boys growled, sending their glare towards the woman. Hiro made himself ready to stop them, too, though he was surprised to see Kai lose it like this. The boy was not balanced, but he kept his mouth and temper in check better than most the young man had ever met.

"Did you really think he felt anything towards you, or was it just that he had the food, clothes and bed you were missing? That coldhearted man who only smiled at others suffering?"

"At least it was not my family who put me in a cold dungeon to grow up!"

"And you wouldn't know what it feel, would you? Without parents, you would never understand how it feels to realize the world outside is not what you think? That your grandfather forced you to feel pain all your life, while the rest of the world your age was playing? To realize he had turned his back on you and you were merely a tool in his plan? Your _only family-member's_ plan?" His voice was still cool and calm, yet it seemed more poisonous than a rattlesnake. He pushed his back away from the wall and strode to the door, dramatic and proud as ever. At the door he halted, sending Tala a last look, which was just as cold as before, and yet said so much more. Then, he left.

Following Kai, Max, Rei, Tyson and Daichi slipped out of the room to check on him. Tala sent Spencer a look that seemed to say that it was all his fault, before turning to his blade. "Answer whatever they ask you about Black Dranzer," he commanded before going to go for the door. On the way out, though, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, and he was too shocked to take it off as he stared up at the older Granger-brother's eyes.

"Need to talk?" Hiro offered, but received a glare that covered the surprise and confusion that was the redhead's true feelings.

"Talk about what?" the redhead asked mockingly before slapping away the hand and going out the door, slamming it behind him. The force as it connected with its frame brought a sound so sudden that it sounded like a gunshot coming out of nowhere, ringing through all of the rooms in the giant center.

Forgetting about Spencer still being in the room, Mariah opened her mouth to speak. She looked at the door with a weird mix of fear and concern, and her golden eyes were thoughtful as her tongue danced behind the canine teeth that could make her and all of her mates look like feral beasts. "Those guys have serious problems," she said, not really knowing if she should care or not. It was like none of them to be carried away like that, but all the while, she did not really know if they, or mostly the redheaded one, could be called a friend.

'I know', the blonde thought silently, watching the door without knowing if he should follow his captain. And if he should follow him, then what would he say? He did not know how to comfort anybody, and the risk of his captain breaking down crying after losing it like that was big. And the ones who knew what to say were ones that the wolf was not going to let in to his little world. A world where some parts even Ian and Bryan were not let in to.

* * *

The ride was extremely quiet all the way, and the tension felt like it rose for every second that passed. Michael sat as close to the door as possible, not trusting the two behind him and so being ready to get out as fast as possible. The other two sat at the very back, watching him like hawks, ready to react if the baseball-player should do something they would describe as threatening.

The bus seemed to drive at snail-speed, the time they sat in the big vehicle passing by endlessly. Michael felt more and more on edge as the imagined to feel their glares burning into his skull while they silently closed in on him. It was only his stubbornness that made him not turn his head around to make sure they had not moved. He knew he was more scared of them than they were of him, despite his continuous denials.

The funny thing was just that he was wrong.

The two bladers of the terrifying team feared him for his unintelligible actions of smiling to strangers and being open towards the world. And they made the same mistake as the world did towards them. Feared what they could not understand, and treated what they could not understand with violence and hostility. The release from the bus when it stopped by the center once more brought relief on both parts. Even if they still was together by less than forty feet, they both felt they had the chance to flee if necessary.

Of course it was unnecessary, and it was not what one side of them was going to do, but it was still reassuring. Their walk had an equal pace, the two Blitzkrieg-Boys still being behind him to make sure of all his moves, but the distance between them remained unchanged. When they finally reached the room, Bryan and Ian looked for their captain, but their attempts to find him were in vain. Instead, they found the last and biggest member of their team, and moved to him in a instant.

"Where is Tala?" the gray-haired asked, but it was the question in both their eyes. The blond whispered the explanation, but before they got done and they could begin the search, the redhead moved through the door. The Wolborg-blade was slowly beginning to wobble, meaning it had to have been spinning for over half an hour. That much endurance laid in the blade. Still, the creature answered their questions, as she had been ordered.

"Can you show us the way to this grave?" Judy asked, a plan beginning to form in her mind. She did not notice the return of the redhead, unlike the rest of the room, but it did not matter. He just moved to his team, as expected of him, and waited for the blade to finally stop. He knew his limit, and that was all he had come back for.

"I think so. It is just outside what I think you call St. Petersburg, or at least that is what I remember. I am not good at your geography, but that is where you should start your search. For what reason you want to find it, I don't know." The blade had been standing the same place since Tala left, but he commanded it to move with a wave with his hand. It moved to the side of the stadium, still losing rotation-speed, but using its gears, it once again put on speed as it sped down and around the stadium, picking up as much speed as possible.

The sudden movement surprised Judy, and she turned her head to see the reason she halfway already had guessed to be there. Giving him no other greeting than looking into his eyes, her concentration moved to his blade again, as it once more stood in place in the middle of the bowl. "Can you imagine a way to kill a spirit? So we can stop him?"

A low huff came from the wolf before it answered. "Black Dranzer's way. Combine darkness with fire. Other ways are far too troublesome for you humans to make. You won't be able to create the power necessary to break a creature as powerful as that young, black phoenix." After a short pause, she continued venomously, and once again the reason she and Tala could be in harmony with each other showed. "I have seen the ways of the human machines. It should not be impossible for you to make the black flames, as long as you can capture the energy of darkness."

* * *

Judy nodded, hoping for her ex-husband to come soon. And after a little thought, she decided to call Tyson's dad to get his help. Even if Hiro was there, he was only the next-best, and this situation required the best of the best. They had to make a machine that could kill this creature before it got so strong it would kill them.

After the week they had promised the non-professional bladers had passed, the scientists of the facility still had not come any further. The machine supposed to contain and create the destructive flames had been made, but the resources they needed proved to be hard. That is, the fire they could create by lighting a match or using a lighter, so that was no problem. No, the problem was darkness.

They could create darkness easily. It simply required to stop making light. The problem was just that the dark energy they wanted to use, they could not draw out from the normal darkness they were able to make. The darkness that drew blood out through the skin, that created living nightmares, that could cut the flesh from your bones, the kind that could leave you broken by a single touch... they could not create. Despite the help from both the master of ancient spirits, Tyson's dad Tatsuya, or the genius of beyblade-parts, Max's dad Taro.

The only dark bitbeast they knew where were was Zeus, but it refused to help them in what it called 'an unholy quest' to kill another bitbeast. After a hard inner turmoil, Brooklyn ended up siding with his creature, even if he, in his heart, wanted to help them in their task. He was just simply unable to go against his bitbeast's will, when it was a matter that meant so much to it. Like Zeus could not go against Brooklyn in more sincere matters.

So they were forced to continue without the help from the real source, even if they were beginning to realize it was impossible. And Brooklyn's situation was not getting better when he had refused to help. But other people could not even begin to understand just how intertwined their minds were. He would never be able to go against it like that.

None of the professional bladers' had left the facility since the problem had been revealed, and the Blitzkrieg-Boys, who had been trying to leave as fast as they could in the first round, they now worked side by side with the men they hated so badly – scientists. To destroy everything that Boris had touched meant more to them than the fears they held, and their abilities and imagination in tackling the problems they were facing, despite their ages and personalities.

"We cannot capture it," Bryan concluded one day after moving through the door again, having left the room to regain his emotional control by pacing the floors thin and hitting a few walls. He reached his team, who were fingering with the mechanics of one of the machines supposed to make a combination of the necessary elements. "The moment we make a flame, the darkness we _can_ make vanish. We must create the same kind dark bitbeasts use and give up on the natural kind." He sat down on the desk beside the machine they were working on. "But if we need to use the powers of the bitbeasts, would it be possible for us to combine two or more actual powers of bitbeast, and the result would be darkness or something like it? If Black Dranzer's combination makes black flames, what if our combination makes darkness?"

After a moment, Tala nodded. "It might actually be possible. Especially with that reasoning. And if we do not create darkness, we might be able to create a power just as strong as those black flames." He stood and patted the smallest member of the team on the shoulder to catch his attention. He was the best mechanic they had. "Continue on your configurations with the machine. Bryan and I are going to speak with Judy."

The smaller's crimson eyes regarded them both when he heard Bryan's name mentioned. "The both of you?" he asked without hiding his surprise. Bryan was known for his lack of patience and social skill, and though none of them had any good will against authorities, he was the one who had the hardest time keeping up the mask of calmness. Even Bryan himself seemed surprised that he was going. But Tala simply nodded. "Have fun then. Spencer, come and help me here."

The two of them left the rest of their team and moved to the families of two of the Breaker's members. Judy and Taro for Max, Hiro and an unknown Tatsuya for Tyson, along with Emily of the All-Star-team and that annoying eeeep'er from the Breakers. At least the so-called 'Chief' refrained from eeeep'ing at the sight of them this time.

"What is it?" Emily asked, her snotty mask up already. Tala made a sign for Bryan behind his back to command him to keep calm before ignoring her and turning his attention to Judy, the leader of the research.

"Bryan got an idea I think you might find both interesting and useful," he said, then stepped to the side to let the attention fall on his teammate. The eyes of the bigger teen just laid on the redhead, seemingly trying to be convinced that he was not kidding as well as demanding _him_ to explain the situation and the possibility he had thought up to them. Neither happened, and finally the eyes moved to the watching group.

"You are testing me," he noted to his captain, letting his eyes shift between the ones in his front. Just looking at the face of the All-Star-girl made him want to punch something, and the situation was nearly the same with the male one of the nerds. Then he turned his eyes back to Tala, watching him questioningly.

"I just thought you should get the credit for it and not me," the redhead said, gesturing for him to speak again.

A roll with a pair of eyes later Bryan looked into Judy's blue eyes again, regarding only her, and spoke. "We cannot make a lasting darkness with the powers of machines, no matter how hard we are trying. The moment fire gets in contact with it, it is extinguished."

"Thanks for stating to obvious," Emily snapped. She obviously did not regard him clever, or maybe even able to think, after having witnessed his many violent actions. He was deemed uncontrollable and brutally stupid, and she was right about one thing as her words made a vein begin to pulse at his temple.

He went on anyway, his jaws tense and therefore the speech slow and strained. Even more so, it made him uncomfortable standing there and talking to people. _Talking_. He was fucking _talking_ to those idiots. "So I concluded we have you use other elements. Black Dranzer created its black flames by combining two elements. We can try to make darkness, or just an deadly mix that is equally strong with the black flames, by combining the powers of different bitbeasts we actually have available."

Emily pursed her lips, obviously not satisfied, and the reason why came when Judy spoke. "You know... That is actually some quite good observations. I have reached the same conclusion about the darkness. We do not have the necessary power. What we do have, though, is our bitbeasts... I wonder why I have not thought of this." She tried to keep the surprise out of her voice, not wanting to seem to regard him an idiot, but failed badly.

"Which elements should we use, then?" Tatsuya wondered. Was he a bitbeast-expert or something? But he was not talking to the Blitzkrieg-Boys. He was talking to their group, _their_ people. Unsatisfied and angered by this lack of regarding, Bryan turned away to refrain from hitting them and kill them. Tala just sent a glare, feeling much the same as his teammate, but knew the things he had a chance of doing, Bryan's methods, would help absolutely nothing.

Both Hiro, Judy and Taro noticed this. Even Emily and Kenny did. "Dad, I do not think it is good to make them angry at you or treating them like that."

"I do not trust them, Hiro. The fact that they can work machines at this high level is giving me the creeps. I know it is no reason to treat them badly, but I have a fear they will corrupt us in some ways."

Taro shook his head, watching how the four interacted. He knew his ex-wife was studying their ways, the same way she was studying everything in her life, but even he had seen the difference when they acted among themselves and others. "I know what you mean, but those boys still has been through enough. It is our duty to help them, as adults and participants." Those four, and Kai as well, needed serious help to get on with their lives. None of them accepted it, though. They were all too independent, and though Kai was getting better, had too many issues with trusting.

"Do you have any proof they have been through what people claim? Mr. Dickenson told me the BBA was unable to get any data out of that Abbey," Taro said, still serious doubt in his voice and face.

Those words made Kenny's insides freeze. He had the information they needed on his laptop, the information they were missing, but he was afraid of their reactions. Both if they found out that he had hacked the system, and that he had been sneaking around personal data without the consent of the touched individuals. But Hiro had seen it too, and he knew the right thing had to be done.

* * *

So he took the boy to the side when they were done arguing and watched him carefully. "You have some data to give Mr. Dickenson the next time you see him, right?" he asked, but it was no real question. It was an order hidden behind a smile. And Kenny simply nodded.

Many of the professional bladers had begun to get restless from being confined in the building, but with the new approach to the research, they suddenly felt needed. They were paired with each other in different combinations, and for the first time for many of them they truly bladed side by side with each other without battling.

It was a new and nice. Like a whole new form of training, and their bitbeasts were constantly out and trying to combine their powers. For some, like wind and water, it happened easily. The two powers were enough alike to be combined, but the result was neither stronger than the black flames or even the slightest bit closer to becoming darkness. Another one, like water and ice, ended up wind a result of either one of the two elements.

If Tala, the only ice-wielder, used an equal amount of power as his opponent, the result would be that the water would freeze. If he used less power than the other, the ice would melt at the water's higher temperature, and the result was water. This made the scientists conclude that if the elements were too much alike a useful combination was impossible. But the result of both cases made them decide that what they needed to make a powerful element was opposites, like the black flames had been made by a light and a dark element.

After they had tried this approach for about a week, Mr. Dickenson came over from Japan and his busy work to see how the things were going. He seemed impressed by the amount of work everyone put into this. All but two, and those two he wanted to talk to. For different reasons than their lack of commitment.

"Hello, dear friends," he smiled in the laboratory of the research, standing beside Judy and her helpers. Kenny nodded at him, though sending a fearful look the president of the BBA had trouble understanding. He decided to wait to ask the youngster till later. "How is everything going? Any progress?"

"Nothing big enough to call real progress, but some of the kids tells us the powers of their beasts are getting closer to working with their chosen partners." She pressed a few buttons on the machine in her front. "We have begun trying to make the artificial darkness again since the combining of the bitbeasts' powers has proven to be harder than first anticipated, but like before we have had no progress. If Brooklyn would just help us, we would not have these problems." She sounded faintly angry, but Mr. Dickenson noted the furious expression flashing over Hiro's face.

"It is not Brooklyn but his bitbeast that does not want to help us," he said, explaining as casually as he could. "He have a bond to that creature which is stronger than the bond even Tyson has to Dragoon. Do not be angry with the boy, but rather the bitbeast that is kept by the boy. Zeus is an old, hateful creature. His will will not bow to humans."

Judy simply nodded, but she did not seem convinced. "I hope you keep an eye on him, Hiro," she just said before turning her attention to Dickenson again. "Another one we keep an eye on is Kai. He has refused to help us in our research and has isolated himself more than he usually does. His team approaches him as they normally do, but Max is worried that all the progress they have succeeded over the years is disappearing. He has another bond to you."

The old man nodded, knowing what she wanted him to do. "I will talk to him."

"He and Tala have not spoken since the first day, either," Taro interfered, his gaze on the always working Blitzkrieg-Boys in the corner. "They had an argument, I heard, and neither of them seem to forgive the other. That is another problem at least _I_ would like to be solved, and your relationship with Tala is a lot like the one you keep with Kai."

"I will talk to him, too," Dickenson promised. "And does anyone know where Brooklyn usually is? I can imagine this situation we are in is hard on him, especially if he is keeping out of the research. Teenagers can be very judging."

"He normally keeps to the garden just outside the facility," Hiro said.

Dickenson smiled wryly at those words. Brooklyn was Brooklyn no matter where he was. Of course he would not let himself be inside for more time than absolutely necessary. "Forget that I asked. I should have guessed."

He was just about to go for the door and seek out Kai when a angry shout the normal workers was beginning to get used to was heard. Dickenson was not, though, and he jumped in surprise when Bryan's voice cut through the sound of working machines. "THAT TRAITOROUS SHIT!" A bang was heard then, and the old man turned as fast as he was able to, just in time to see the many tools the boys were using to configure the machines being shattered on the floor. The teen had thrown over the metal box they were keeping it in. "FUCKING BASTARD!"

Tala put a hand on his teammates shoulder, saying a few words to the unstable teen. That, though, only made Bryan even more furious and he shoved the redhead to the ground. "Fuck you!" he yelled, kicking the redhead in the side once. "Just _fuck_ you! Izmennik! Chyort voz'mi! Budʹ _ty_ proklyat! Mudak! (Traitor! Damn it! Damn _you_! Asshole!)"

"Bryan, _language_!" Spencer sneered, taking a hand on the gray-haired teen's shoulder and dragging him away from their captain. Said captain just stared up at him, anger in his eyes, and Bryan looked at him for another second before turning away, slamming the hand on his shoulder away with force that made the blond wince in pain.

"Vy zakrylebeshʹ vverkh! Ryvok! (Shut the fuck up! Jerk!)"

Then he whirled around and started out of the room, and Dickenson was fast to get out of the way when he saw the look in those eyes. His heart rate was fast, and he strode towards the redhead as soon as the slam of the door told him the anger had left the room. He knew no word of Russian, but he was quite sure he should not mind it at the moment.

The moment the redhead felt a stranger hand on his shoulder, his head snapped around to glare at the intruder of his personal space. But the moment he saw who it was his face softened and he complied to be helped to his feet, trying not to wince whenever a shock of pain flashed from his side. "How often does he do that?"

"If you mean hitting us, about once a month," the redhead answered, and Dickenson noted the surprised look the redhead got from his teammates. He was sharing personal information with a stranger. "If you just mean snapping, he does it in the lab about two times a day."

"_Two times a day?_" Dickenson asked. "And the scientists put up with that?"

"Yeah. In the beginning they were wanting to throw him out, but then decided against it for whatever reasons they came up with that were good enough for them not to throw him out. Besides, he is trying to restrain himself. At home, he does it about ten times a day. He still has many of the symptomes from his withdrawal." The moment he closed his month, his eyes widened, and he turned his head away from the old man. And Dickenson knew he had said more than he wanted.

"Withdrawal?"

"... Nevermind. You were going somewhere?"

"Yes. Good to see you again, Tala." He meant it, and the redhead again showed surprise when he saw the smile his face held to prove it. He could not help to wonder if those guys would ever stop being surprised when someone showed positive interest in them. "Any of you know where Kai is hiding?" As he expected, Tala's eyes grew hard at the question. They truly were angry at each other, then.

Therefore, it was Ian who answered. "Check the roof. Kai always had a need to stand on roofs."

For the second time that day Dickenson smiled wryly, and that for nearly the same reason. He should have figured Kai would seek out the highest place possible. He thanked the boys, gave them a last smile, then moved out of the room to find the bluenette boy. To imagine the boy had held that creature in his possesion for so many years. He was more impressed than angry, even if he would have like to know.

He found his way to the very top of the building, and the moment he opened the door Ian's advice proved to be right. Standing on the railing at the very edge of the roof Kai was standing. His arms were folded, his scarf swirling in the wind, and he resembled a statue more than a human as he stood there. A very elegant and impressively carved gargoyle at the top of the scientific facility.

The old man moved closer, walking as casually as possible when one of the most precious youngsters you had ever dealt with seemed to be on the edge very of death. "Had it been anyone other than you I would have demanded them off the roof immediately, but I know how you are used to places like this."

The teen moved his head to the side, looking at him from the corner of his eye. As always, he did not look like anything could surprise him. Even if he did not know his current guardian was in the building. "Dickenson."

That was all the greeting he expected, and he moved to the railing, trying to ignore the dizzying height. "Would you mind getting off? I am not usually afraid of heights, but this is a little too much for me. How is life going?"

"You are angry at me," Kai expected, jumping down in a way that made Dickenson's heart beat faster. He was moving so carelessly. He could have tripped for all the man knew and be falling to his death right this moment.

As soon as the boy was on the ground, though, the man was able to smile again, and he shook his head slowly. "You are jumping to conclusions again. It is true that I would not have let you keep the blade at the time you took it. I would be fearing that you would give in to it. But you have kept it for about three years now, is that not right? And not a single time have you let your defenses down and let it control you. Anything else would be too obvious."

Kai simply nodded, and the only sign of his surprise laid in his eyes. His face was as blank as he always tried to keep it. Serious emotional pain was the only thing able to truly break that mask.

"I am, however, disappointed that you did not tell me about its presence when you began trusting me. I would have liked to know." He was still smiling, but he saw that little blink of guilt in the crimson eyes replacing the surprise.

Then Kai shook his head, looking over the dry landscape beneath them. "These adults reacted the way I had imagined they would. You cannot blame me for not telling you." So intelligent and so postured. Dickenson knew there was a big turmoil behind that mask, but unlike even people twice his age he was able to look perfectly normal while fighting it.

"I know I would not have forced it out of your hand, but tell me why their reaction worries you this much. I cannot imagine you wanting it to stay alive. Is it that you no longer know exactly who will try to take over its powers, if anyone will, now that it is no longer in your possession? And why are you not helping the research?"

This time he shook his head once again and turned to the man, looking into his smiling eyes. "It has nothing to do with me having it in my possession or not. I have warned them that it is able to drive a man mad and it is their fault if anyone tries to pick it up. Even _Boris_ gave up trying to use its powers with anyone in the Abbey but me because he had realized it would simply be a waste of his soldiers." The old man nodded slowly, then waited for him to continue. He had not gotten his question answered.

Kai then did something Dickenson had not have expected of him. He let himself slide down the wall of the railing, settling himself on the floor of the roof. "I want it destroyed as soon as possible, though." His mask had slid off in the same movement as he had slid himself to the floor. "I want it gone now that I know it was not even at its highest of powers when I used it last time. I know how strong it was. It did not even use its full potential then."

Despite his bad knee and hurting back Dickenson followed the boy down to the floor, his movements far less graceful and slightly pained. "It is very strong, then. Stronger than I thought." He lifted his arm and took it around the boy tryingly. He thought he would be shoved away, but what happened was the opposite. The boy leaned into him and laid his head on the man's big chest, letting them get closer than Dickenson had ever managed before.

And the president of BBA finally understood just how much this was worried the younger was and how alone he felt with it. Everyone so was mistrusting towards him because he had given in to the temptation that single time, and they were so mistrusting despite the possibility that this teen maybe wanted it gone more badly than they were.

"Why do you not want them to research?" he asked, stroking the hair of the boy. He was nearly fearing the boy would begin to cry, but Kai still had too much of his posture to let that happen. He let him stroke his hair, let him comfort him despite knowing he would regret it later. "Why not help them, then?"

"They do it the wrong way, and they do it without any progress. I have communicated with that dark creature. It took it, a creature that actually rather naturally _have_ those elements in its body, four years to complete its black flames. If a creature with one mind to control the elements used four years, then how should any of the other bitbeasts be able to fuse them before it becomes too strong?" His hands curled into fists. "I want it _gone_, Dickenson. Now."

The old man nodded, still stroking the boy's hair. "Do you have any ideas, then?" He could imagine no-one had asked the bluenette if he had any idea how to take it down. He was relieved when Kai pushed himself away, trying to get back to his normal self. It meant he was beginning to get back to his normal self and would get back to his feet soon.

"Let it go to the place where it is at its calmest. Where it lets it guard down. The place Wolborg seem to know. And let all our bitbeast try to conquer it. I think it would be possible, unless it has grown too strong already."

"An ambush?" Kai simply nodded, rising to his feet and crossing his arms. He was back to normal. "I will suggest it. Then we go to the next topic. I heard you and Tala are not speaking." Mr. Dickenson busied himself with getting to his feet so he was not forced to look at Kai's glaring eyes. "So what was this argument about?"

"Black Dranzer, of course," Kai answered, once again turning to watch the dry landscape so far beneath them. "And then it turned the wrong direction. He mentioned me trying to make my grandfather proud by using it. I said I at least did not stay by his side, unlike what he did with Boris. People were mentioned that should not have, and to make it worse, we both forgot the people around us. That we were not alone is probably what hurt Tala the most."

To him, it was the words about his grandfather. Dickenson could figure that much. "It is very careless of you to say such things among other people. Especially since I know you do not trust most of them." He could even feel Kai roll his eyes behind his back. "Well, m'boy, I'll be going. Thanks for your time. You have given me something to think about." He put on his hat again and went to the door. His next target was Brooklyn, whom also worried him.

He was also at the expected place, though it could not really be called a garden. It was just an area with slightly more foliage than the rest of the landscape, meaning his was not laying fully on his back in the grass but simply sitting on the ground and staring into space. For once no animal kept him company. "Hello, Brooklyn. No animals today?"

The blue eyes turned towards him, and a smile formed on his lips. "Good day, Mr. Dickenson. How are you? There are not many animals in this area, and most that _are_ here are nocturnal creatures. I would like to meet them, but someone once told me humans are supposed to sleep during the night. My experiences with life tells me he is right." The old man thought he could hear a faint humor was hidden in the voice, but he was not sure.

It was hard for Dickenson not to think of their first meeting in the park. This boy had found it nearly impossible to get close to humans, his own age or not, and had found something else to drive off the worst of the loneliness. And animals had such an incredible trust in him. "I am fine, thank you." He reached out a hand to the boy, wanting him to take it. "It is nearly time for lunch. Would you mind keeping me company? And how have you been since I last saw you?"

He took the hand, but it was obvious he would have been more than capable of getting up himself. Nearly no weight was put on the old man's body. "It has been weird. I am trying to find that world and those things Tyson described to me. And keep that feeling of beyblading he showed me. The beyblade spirit, right?" He put on that faint smile. "Before I never bladed for fun. I only did it to feel closer to Zeus. It was no game, not even a hobby. But that battle... I liked it. A lot. When I had calmed down. I have even tried to train, but it is so _boring_."

Dickenson could not help but smile. The boy was trying to find a new life and be comfortable in it, but old habits die hard it is said. That boy was so talented at everything he did that life became a challenge he formerly had avoided.

"Garland is trying to help me with the training, though, even if he is no match for me. His family decided to let me stay with them, since I have no home without Boris' help." The last piece of information was new to Dickenson, and he hummed to let the boy know he was listening. "They are very kind. They also helped me when the police contacted me about... the-destruction-of-the-world-thing. They disagreed to let me get arrested and sent to court, and with the help of some kind of psychiatrist made it possible. I was diagnosed, though. With depression, faint symptoms of schizophrenia and/or split personality, and a general problem with social interactions. I do not believe if the second, though."

Dickenson could feel a slight doubt about the last statement. This doubt was proven wrong at the boy's next words, though.

"The schizophrenia and split personality they believe they can see is not a sickness. It is Zeus." They had reached the door of the facility, and Dickenson's hand was on the handle when he stopped his movements. Brooklyn just motioned for him to continue his walking, and Dickenson did despite his mix of confusion and slight fear for and against the boy by his side. "Which leads us to the thing you want to talk about. You want to talk about Zeus."

Unlike Kai, this kid was always spot on. "I still care about your well-being," Dickenson said and meant it, feeling as though the words from the boy was an accusation. "It is true that my primary reason for talking to you is Zeus, but I have been worried how you would be after the match. It sounds like it is going in the right direction, and I am glad."

Brooklyn just waved at him with a lazy hand, indicating he was not angered by the hidden intentions. "You are a kind man. I know you really were interested in how I am doing, and that makes me glad, too. That someone actually care about me." They continued their walk towards the cafeteria, going slower than Dickenson would normally do as he matched the teen's pace. "The situation we are in requires me to cooperate more than anyone, and I am not. It is required of you to talk to me about it. And you, unlike many adults, wants reasons rather than forced actions."

The old man nodded, knowing he had been hit spot on again by the teen's observations. "That is true. They have told me you claim Zeus is the one who is against our actions and that he is the one who will not cooperate and not you. My many years in beyblading have lead me to believe that bitbeasts mostly bow to their master's actions."

Brooklyn simply shook his head. "It is because most bitbeast and humans are not able to speak to each other. Like Kai has described about this Black Dranzer Zeus is able to enter and control the mind. He has done this to me on occasion, like when I lost to Kai and my mind literally was falling apart. At the time I told him I wanted the world to disappear, and he took me very literally in the battle he fought for me where only half of the things I said came from my own mind. Not that I disagreed with his doings at the time, but he protected me then by taking over."

This gave some answers to the many questions Dickenson had asked himself about this special teen, and he nodded silently for a moment, thinking. "So you claim that the bitbeast does not have the same opinions as their masters, so when the humans do their actions, and the bitbeasts simply follow orders."

"Exactly. The bitbeast may disagree, but they are too loyal to go against them. I could easily force Zeus to do what you ask of me, but since I am actually able to communicate with him, I know he would see it as a crack in our trust and relationship. He means more to me than the world." They had reached the cafeteria, and when the other teens saw that Dickenson had come to the facility those that had not met him yet approached to greet him.

This set a temporary break on their conversation as Brooklyn drew back not to be caught in the social turmoil of teenagers. Dickenson was truly happy to see all his children again, and he let those who wanted hug him do so before he excused himself and said he needed to talk to Brooklyn. They respected that, the White Tigers giving him a slight bow each. Then he motioned for the said boy to follow him to a table. "If you can communicate with him," he continued their conversation as if nothing had happened, "then why did you come here?"

Brooklyn's smile became one of the real ones. One that Dickenson only had seen on his face at the end of his battle with Tyson. "Garland wanted to meet him. I suspect he wanted to check out if he really was as kind as I claim, but his interest is still very nice. We never got to try out the machine, though. Things became too stressed, and we are not the only ones missing our turn. Of course this does not mean as much to me as it does to the rest."

Dickenson nodded thoughtfully as they sat down by the same table as Judy and the rest of the more 'experienced' humans in the room. He saw Brooklyn's eyes become slightly suspicious before the blue orbs sought down to the surface of the table in front of him. "What is Zeus' reasons, then, not to agree with our actions?" He had sat here to let the others hear the rest of the conversation, and he was very sure Brooklyn already knew this. He just hope the adults were not too polite to not listen.

"He does not want Black Dranzer dead." Dickenson got his wish. Out of the corner of his eye he noted an either surprised or disgusted expression from the occupants of the table. Brooklyn continued, though, probably from need to protect his friend. "He has told me the state of the black phoenix is the fault of the other bitbeasts, and that killing it is just yet another way for them not to take responsibility for their actions and admit they are not perfect."

That was a totally new way to look at the situation, and created new thoughts in the old man's mind. Of course the bitbeast must have feelings the same way the rest of them had, and there might be more to this furious hate than they thought. "I can see the sense in it. But does he have a way to make things right again?"

"Yes, but he does not want to do it. He does not want to make things right alone. He never did anything bad to the black phoenix, meaning that it is not his responsibility the same way it is for the rest of them. As long as they do not admit they are to blame, he refuses to have anything to do with the bitbeast." The teen stood, finishing their talk with his action. "I will find some food. Hope you have gotten something to think about."

He moved away quietly, and Dickenson turned to Judy and the rest of the parents. "Ever even considered Black Dranzer is the fault of others like he just described?" he asked, smiling faintly, but he did not let them answer. "No matter. I spoke to Kai, and his reasons not to help I believe is very different from what you could think. He does not believe in the technique we are using. He told me Black Dranzer used four years on making its black flames, and fears it takes us even longer to create it. And that it therefore gets too strong for us to control."

"What else can we do, then?" Taro asked, but he seemed to follow the way of thinking. Then he grit his teeth and shook his head, the kind man regretting even more than simply that. "And why did we not ask him ourselves? We should know Kai always has a reason for the things he does, even if it does not always agree with our own wishes."

"He would not have told you anyway," Dickenson said, shaking his head too. "Getting Black Dranzer taken away from him like that has broken a lot of his trust. Not that I blame you, Judy, for you do not know him the way I do. But he fears its powers even more than we do. And as you may not know, Kai needs his control. Without it constantly in his possession, he does not know what it is doing and whom might touch it by mistake and get victim to its power. He denied this to me, but I know that is the reason for a lot of his current actions, like seeking lonesome places."

Judy shook her head, trying not to let her sudden disappointment in herself lose her grip. She took a deep breath, leaned herself back in the chair and turned her attention to Dickenson again. "If Kai have found this as a problem, did he then figure out a way to solve it? Having seen his adaptability and fast mind when he is fighting in a beybattle, I would be very surprised if he did not have a plan."

"He does," Dickenson nodded. "As far as I have understood, he does not see it as very safe but with far higher chance of success than our research. It is more or less an ambush. He will lead it to the place where it feels its safest, where it lets its guard down, and then attack it with the combined powers of the bitbeast we have available when it least expects it. I will let you think about it. Until then we should get something to eat. It is only lunch once a day."

They all stood, going for the buffet to fill their plates, and when they all sat down again, it was Tyson's dad, Tatsuya, who began the conversation again. "So Dickenson... would you mind sharing your secret to getting behind the mask of the most mistrusting teenagers I have ever met?"

Dickenson chuckled and finished his bite of his chicken sandwich. "You should first be impressed when I get through to Bryan or Spencer." They all raised their eyebrows at the mention of the last name. "Yes, Spencer. I believe him to be nearly as impenetrable as Bryan. He may seem kinder and more approachable, but it is simply his own kind of mask, and since no-one realizes this, he can go on like that for far longer than any of them. My so called secret, though, is simple kindness and too much spare-time." As president of BBA with a very busy schedule, this seemed very much like a lie. He had no spare-time at all. "But I am amazed with your patience with Bryan. I saw his outburst in the lab today, you know."

Judy placed two fingers on her forehead as if she was having a headache. "That was one of the worst ones he has had. It is amazing that I am beginning to see the difference between his outrages, don't you think? The biggest difference is if it is human-based or material-based anger. The human-based leaves nothing but trouble, though his team seems so used to it they only care the moments he screams at them, but as soon as he leaves to calm down simply goes about with their work like nothing happened. The material-based, on the other hand, are very useful. He finds a problem in the research, and when it is too much, loses his mind and throw a few things that are not important for the research, never destroying anything from our work, and leaves. When he comes back, he has figured a solution and tries it, and sometimes it actually works and we get to the next step, sometimes even stop being stuck at something."

"Interesting," Dickenson murmured and took a few more bites before looking Judy again. "So these outbursts he has, as scary and dangerous as they can be, are useful in their own way?"

"Weirdly enough, yes," Taro nodded for his ex-wife. "Though when humans are involved, especially if it is one he does not know very well, he can get violent and physical. We have lost a few scientists this way, but... When he is concentrating his anger and energy on the work, he is far more effective than even ten of our scientists. All of those boys are." He got an agreeing nod from Judy.

"It worries me, though. They have knowledge in complex machinery that not even the All-Stars, who has been researching here for years, are comfortable with. Especially that little one," Tatsuya said. "It unnerves me. There are so many things about them we do not know. How can we be absolutely sure they are trustworthy?"

Dickenson just shrugged, his smile not even then leaving his face then. "We just have to trust our experiences in them, do we not?" He stood when he finished the sandwich, taking his food tray, which was still filled with a salad and some beef, in his hands. "But I have something to talk to them about, so I am afraid I have to leave your company. I will meet you in the lab after lunch, and I promise not to be too much in your way."

The others simply nodded as he stood, and he moved over towards the table of the Blitzkrieg-Boys in the corner of the room that was closest to the exit. He smiled at them all before he turned his eyes to Tala. "May I sit with you for the rest of the lunch?" he asked as if he had not noted the raised eyebrows and angry looks from each of the different personality sitting by the table.

"Move," was all the answer he got from the redhead, and Spencer complied, the two of them giving place for the old man to sit.

"So, boys," Dickenson began, still smiling. "Or rather you, Tala," he continued, turning to the redhead beside him, and his face turned serious. "I have talked to Kai, and I can see it is in his best interest that the two of you began talking again. I will not believe it if you claim you are not wanting to speak with him either." He forked some of his salad and put it in his mouth, then looked around the table to see the different reactions.

Bryan just seemed angry, maybe because and outsider came into their affairs. Ian's face seemed mildly interested, while Tala turned away from him, only to be met by the grinning face of the blond. "You see? Even the kind, old man I do not remember the name of thinks you should pull yourself together and speak to him again," Spencer said, and Dickenson had to fight off his smile to remain serious.

"I do not want to _apologize_," Tala said, then turned back to Dickenson. "Besides, he does not want to help with the research." Bryan's face twitched in notable anger. "And the two of us were paired to try and combine the powers of our bitbeast. The thing with making opposites meet, and the other fire-users are not strong enough to keep my ice away. He refused the scientists' request without even giving himself time to think about it..." There was a slight pause where the redhead took a bite of the meat he had on his plate. "Then he continued. Not that I want to work with him, either."

Bryan's fist slammed on to the table with force enough to make the trays on the table jump, and some of the food on it spilled out of their plates, dirtying their trays and the surface it sat on. Dickenson now knew what had caused the boy's outburst from earlier. The redhead also seemed still not to have been forgiven.

"At least we now know who cleans the table when we are done eating," Ian noted, only to yelp a moment later when Bryan kicked him underneath the table. He threw a handful of sandwich at the gray-haired, and Bryan pounced on him. Dickenson was just about to interfere when he noticed that Bryan was not wounding the smaller, simply stating the point that he did not like to get food in his face, and he relaxed his body again again.

"Is this a normal scene in your home?" he asked the last two at the table, who simply shrugged, not wanting to answer. "Anyway, Kai is very stressed at the moment. You are the ones who understand him the best, even if his team are the one who has seen the development he has been through in the last few years." Tala again turned his face away as though it would make his words untrue. "This thing with Black Dranzer getting stronger... You know how he does not show his feelings, since you all are the same in your own way. But he is scared, and feeling pressured because no-one is trusting his ability to fight off the temptation. And he feels everyone's contempt because he kept it without telling."

"I dare to guess he did not tell you to ask me forgive him and apologize," Tala stated, twirling his food around with his fork. Bryan and Ian re-entered their seats, Ian's purple hair and face filled with various crumples of bread, small pieces of salad, and a single pasta. Since they took it this easy, Dickenson decided that it _was_ a normal scene to them.

But he had another matter to discuss. "Just you knowing this is proof enough for me that your relationship with him is strong. You know him, Tala, and I am sure you know that he need to feel not everyone hate him for this. No matter how strong and independent he want to seem, even he is a social creature."

There was a small pause where the redhead seemed to consider it. Then he put a piece of pasta on top of his fork. "Alright," he mumbled and dared to fling the pasta at the president of BBA, hitting him squarely in the face, "you convinced me. Happy?"

Dickenson used half a minute to decide if it was beneath his dignity to throw food. Then a smile spread on his face as he nodded. "Happy," he said, took the piece of beef he had just cut free to eat in his hand and threw it at the redhead.

Tala dodged, and the meat ended on Spencer's shoulder. Then all of the Blitzkrieg-Boys stared at him like he was an alien who had just been beamed down from his spaceship, and the man chuckled lightheartedly. Then Spencer made his move, taking half his sandwich and throwing it at the man, and an all-out war against the outsider trying to intrude their ranks began from the Blitzkrieg-Boys' side. Dickenson did what he could to get back at them, but their aim were far better, and he was losing until the redhead got between Spencer's projectile and the BBA president.

The redhead was hit right on the back of his neck.

Tala growled playfully angry and sent the food back at his teammate, and the war was no longer only against the old man, but also their own. "Traitors!" Ian yelled in at the redhead and the blond when they began throwing at each other in mock contempt, and he threw his own projectiles at them. "Traitors! Going against your own! How dare you!"

They did not even notice the confused and surprised glances they got from the rest of the lunch-eaters, their fun too great. Then a serving of pudding seemed to come out of nowhere and hit Bryan in his forehead, making his head snap around to find the culprit. Kai was peacefully eating his sandwich, his eyes closed as he did so, but the look he got from his teammates sitting around the table told everything.

"Oh," Bryan said, standing from his seat, and people began fearing for the bluenette's life until Bryan grabbed his tray to prove that his upcoming actions were not dangerous. "You dare, huh? You _dare?_" He slowly made his way over to the Breakers' table where a smirk had erupted on Kai's face. He got within a meter of Kai's seat, then threw the whole tray at him, food first.

Kai scooted backwards on his chair, eyes still closed, and the water, plate and other edible materials from the tray his Max on his stomach. The careless boy simply laughed and threw back at the Blitzkrieg-Boy, who dodged. Seeing their friend in 'need', Tala, Ian and Spencer stood with their own trays, and Rei stood with his own handful of food, getting ready to help his friend. That was when he was attacked from behind with a plastic-plate of salad, and Mariah stuck out her tongue at him when he turned around to find his enemy.

Suddenly noticing the battle was on and he was without ammunition, Bryan dived for Kai's plate, and the two of them got into a pretty violent play-fight to get the bluentte's food tray. Those did not want to be a part of the war fled as the other teams was dragged into the fun, and Robert stood from his seat when Oliver, Enrique and Johnny went for their trays and threw at the All-Stars, who were nearest. "How uncouth," he snorted, moving towards the wall to get out.

Unfortunately for him, his whole team noticed his single word, and everyone of them sent a single piece of their food after him, hitting his clothes. Seeing his expression, Johnny fell to the floor laughing while the others smiled, and their leader went on towards the exit. Johnny got punished at letting his guard down, though, as Michael sent his whole beef flying at him with the precision of a baseball-player, and the hot-tempered rich-boy was fast to get up and get revenge.

Judy and the other adults tried to get order again, but though they were respected enough not to get hit their attempts was in vain. "What is this madness?" Judy yelled. "This is a scientific facility, not kindergarten! Stop this!"

Dickenson went over to her, smiling slightly with his clothes and face dirty from his war with the Blitzkrieg-Boys. "Do not worry, Judy, do not worry," he said, tapping her shoulder lightly and therefore dirtying her white coat with his food-covered hand. "I was the one who started it. There is nothing to be angry at." Then with all the adults staring after him in disbelief, he went for the exit to change his clothes.

Out in the hall Kenny clenched his laptop, and Robert and Emily seemed in utter disbelief at the chaos on the inside. Ming-Ming was fighting hard to get her dress clean. Mathilda came running out behind him, but she was grinning as she tried to clean her pink hair. They were very all surprised to find Dickenson in the state he was, though, and he just smiled at them. "The youth today. So energetic." Then he turned and went for the place were he kept his baggage since he had come to the facility directly from the airport. He noticed Kenny trailing in behind him, and stopped to speak to him. "What is it, my dear boy?"

"I-ehm... I have some data... On my computer. I should be showing it to you..."

Dickenson nodded and smiled. "Alright. Come with me. As soon as I have new clothes I will look at it with you."

Kenny just nodded, knowing he was about to destroy the fantastic mood of the president of BBA. "Just... please do not tell Kai you have this from me."

* * *

That was the next chapter. The ending, as in the food-throwing, only happened like this out of a spontaneous act from me when Bryan pounced Ian like he did. Had Dickenson hit anyone other than Spencer, the fight would never have been, so be happy that the blond is more at ease than the rest of his team... that is if you like my idiocy ^^

Anyway, in the next chapter, Black Dranzer is finally confronted, and because of the interference from Zeus, things are not going as they planned. That is all I will say, as evil as I am, for the next chapter is not coming... before a very long time as passed.

Enjoy in joy, anyway ^^


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